Laser wakefield excitation and measurement by femtosecond longitudinal interferometry

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.76.3570· OSTI ID:285682

Siders, C W; Le Blanc, S P; Fisher, D; Tajima, T; Downer, M C ^[1]; Babine, A; Stepanov, A; Sergeev, A ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)
2. The Institute of Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

Plasma density oscillations (Langmuir waves) in the wake of an intense ({ital I}{sub peak}{approximately}3{times}10{sup 17} W/cm{sup 2}) laser pulse (100 fs) are measured with ultrafast time resolution using a longitudinal interferometric technique. Phase shifts consistent with large amplitude ({delta}{ital n}{sub {ital e}}/{ital n}{sub {ital e}}{approximately}1) density waves at the electron plasma frequency were observed in a fully tunnel-ionized He plasma, corresponding to longitudinal electric fields of {approximately}10 GV/m. Strong radial ponderomotive forces enhance the density oscillations. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• DOE Contract Number: FG05-92ER40739
• OSTI ID: 285682
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 76; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
EXCITATION
HELIUM
INTERFEROMETRY
LANGMUIR FREQUENCY
LASERS
OSCILLATIONS
PHASE SHIFT
PLASMA DENSITY
PULSES
TIME RESOLUTION
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS