Interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with an underdense,preformed plasma channel

We report on experimental results regarding the propagation of ultraintense laser pulses in a preformed plasma channel. In this experiment, the long (4-mm) fully ionized plasma channel created by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was measured by interferometry before and after the propagation of the short laser pulse. Forward spectra show a cascade of Raman satellites, which merge with one another when the laser power was increased up to critical power for relativistic self-focusing P_c. The number of filaments measured by interferometry increases when the laser power increases. High conversion efficiency (≈10%) of second harmonic generation was observed in the interaction     

Experimental study of relativistic self-focusing andself-channeling of an intense laser pulse in an underdense plasma

This paper reports on experimental investigations on relativistic self-focusing and self-channeling of a terawatt laser pulse (0.7 TW⩽P⩽15 TW) in an underdense plasma. We present results obtained with picosecond (τ=1 ps) and subpicosecond (τ=0.4 ps) pulses. In the “long pulse” regime, modifications in the laser propagation are observed for Pc, the critical power for self-focusing. By contrast, self-guiding of subpicosecond pulses is observed for P≈P_c. Using a paraxial envelope model describing the laser propagation and taking into account the plasma response to the ponderomotive force, it is shown that a maximum laser intensity of 5-15 times that reached in vacuum may be achieved when P is in the (1.25-4)×P_c range. It is also demonstrated that ion motion may significantly reduce the effective P_c     

低密等离子体通道中的非共振激光直接加速

在低密等离子体通道中, 横向有质动力可以有效调制电子的横向振荡过程. 一方面, 横向有质动力可以向外推动电子, 增大电子横向振荡振幅, 减小失相率, 使电子获得能量增益; 另一方面, 横向有质动力也可以通过对失相率的非线性调制来降低失相率, 在电子横向振荡振幅很小的情况下导致激光直接加速. 横向有质动力调制的大小由等离子体密度、激光强度和束宽共同决定. 三维模型结果也证实可以通过参数放大实现激光直接加速, 弥补了准二维模型的局限性.     

Experimental evidence of plasma-induced incoherence of an intense laser beam propagating in an underdense plasma

Time dependent large angular spreading and spectral broadening of an intense randomized laser beam propagating in an underdense, well-characterized plasma is measured. The two features are correlated and increase with laser intensity or plasma density. This spatial and temporal incoherence imposed upon the beam via the coupling with the plasma is interpreted, in agreement with recent numerical simulations, as due to the interplay between dynamical filamentation and strongly driven stimulated Brillouin forward scattering.     

Opacity of an underdense plasma slab due to the parametric instabilities of an ultraintense laser pulse

The interaction of ultraintense laser beams with underdense plasma slabs has been investigated with two-dimensional particle-in-cell numerical simulations, showing a strong absorption and a correlatively low transmission. Energetic electrons in the multi-MeV range are produced. At very high intensities the plasma transparency is recovered. These results are interpreted in terms of the development of electron parametric instabilities in the self-consistently heated plasma.     

High-power, kilojoule class laser channeling in millimeter-scale underdense plasma

Experiments were performed using the Omega EP laser, operating at 740 J of energy in 8 ps (90 TW), which provides extreme conditions relevant to fast ignition studies. A carbon and hydrogen plasma plume was used as the underdense target and the interaction of the laser pulse propagating and channeling through the plasma was imaged using proton radiography. The early time expansion, channel evolution, filamentation, and self-correction of the channel was measured on a single shot via this method. A channel wall modulation was observed and attributed to surface waves. After around 50 ps, the channel had evolved to show bubblelike structures, which may be due to postsoliton remnants.     

Collimated multi-MeV ion beams from high-intensity laser interactions with underdense plasma

A beam of multi-MeV helium ions has been observed from the interaction of a short-pulse high-intensity laser pulse with underdense helium plasma. The ion beam was found to have a maximum energy for He2+ of (40(+3)(-8)) MeV and was directional along the laser propagation path, with the highest energy ions being collimated to a cone of less than 10 degrees. 2D particle-in-cell simulations show that the ions are accelerated by a sheath electric field that is produced at the back of the gas target. This electric field is generated by transfer of laser energy to a hot electron beam, which exits the target generating large space-charge fields normal to its boundary.     

Investigation of stimulated brillouin backscattering of nanosecond CO2 laser radiation from an extended underdense plasma

Stimulated Brillouin backscattering (SBS) of nanosecond CO₂ laser radiation is investigated from an homogeneous extended plasma for well defined interaction conditions. It is found that SBS saturates at the theoretical limit near 100% Growth of SBS ion-waves starts from near thermal-wave amplitudes. Theoretical and observed SBS threshold fluxes agree within the 50% error bounds of these values. It is pointed out that self focusing does not greatly affect SBS under the conditions investigated. SBS thresholds depend on plasma density and focal spot diameter. It is indicated that an equilibrium between inverse bremsstrahlung absorption and classical heat conduction can explain several aspects.     

亚密度冷等离子体的低功率激光吸收特性分析

当电子密度远低于入射小功率激光所对应的临界密度时,冷等离子体对激光的吸收特性与高密度热等离子体将有很大的差别。在亚密度冷等离子体中,电子与中性粒子间的碰撞将占主导地位,对应的频率远大于电子-离子碰撞频率,这使得碰撞吸收本质发生了变化。亚密度等离子体的电子密度和碰撞频率均较小,它在单位长度传输路径内对常用的工作在可见光、红外波段内的小功率激光的碰撞吸收可以忽略不计。但是对于非正常吸收机制的影响尚需深入研究。     

CO2 laser induced compton effect in underdense hydrogen plasma

Recent experimental observation of induced scattering of CO₂ laser radiation by an underdense hydrogen plasma can be explained theoretically by non-linear and Compton scattering from ions in the highly cooperative plasma conditions prevailing (kλ_D? 1).     

Compton散射对短脉冲强激光在次临界等离子体中自聚焦的影响

应用相对论理论和多光子非线性Compton散射模型,研究了Compton散射对短脉冲强激光在次临界等离子体中自聚焦的影响,提出了将入射光和Compton散射光作为形成激光自聚焦的新机制,给出了三级电流密度满足的修正方程,并进行了数值模拟。结果表明,相对论效应使等离子体中的短脉冲强激光自聚焦趋势减缓,而散射则加速了自聚焦的发展,总自聚焦趋势比无相对论时来得快一些,主要原因是由于散射光和入射光形成的耦合光频率较入射光频率增大,散射效应补偿了因相对论效应引起的自聚焦减缓效应的缘故。     

Non‐linear absorption of an intense laser pulse propagating in wiggler‐assisted underdense collisional plasma

In this article, the propagation of an intense laser pulse through underdense collisional plasma in the presence of planar magnetostatic wiggler is studied. It is shown that the electron density distribution, in the presence of planar wiggler with increasing of the normalized plasma length, increases initially and then reaches a peak for different values of wiggler amplitudes. In addition, it is found that the existence of wiggler field leads to an increase in the electron density distribution and subsequently enhancement of electric field. Moreover, it is observed that by increasing the wiggler field, as a result of the increase of the electron density distribution, the dielectric permittivity constant is reduced. It is seen that while wiggler magnetic field was applied appropriately, the total absorption coefficient in the underdense collisional isothermal magnetized plasma improves. In fact, increase of wiggler magnetic field causes the enhancement of the total absorption coefficient of plasma medium.     

Stimulated Raman backscattering from an ultrashort laser interacting with underdense plasmas

We present experimental results of the stimulated Raman backscattering instability (BSRS) in an ultrashort intense (45fs, 5.7×10¹⁷Wcm^-2) laser pulse interacting with an optically ionized helium gas. We have studied the stimulated Raman backscattering reflectivity and the phenomenon of the transition from strongly coupled BSRS to weakly coupled BSRS. We have obtained a good agreement between our experimental results and the theory of BSRS.     

Nonlinear interaction of an intense laser beam with millimeter sized underdense plasmas

Experimental results are reported on the nonlinear interaction of a 0.5 μm laser light with long scalelength preformed plasmas. Spectra from stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering, as well as measurements of the transmitted laser light clearly indicate the occurence of strong nonlinearities driven by filamentation of the laser beam.     

Nonlinear propagation of an intense Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma channel

The nonlinear propagation of an intense Laguerre–Gaussian(LG) laser pulse in a parabolic preformed plasma channel is analyzed by means of the variational method. The evolution equation of the spot size is derived including the effects of relativistic self-focusing, preformed channel focusing, and ponderomotive self-channeling. The parametric conditions of the LG laser pulse and plasma channel for propagating with constant spot size, periodically focusing and defocusing oscillation,catastrophic focusing, and solitary waves are obtained. Compared with the laser pulse with fundamental Gaussian(FG)mode, it is found that the effect of vacuum diffraction is reduced by half and the effects of relativistic and wakefield focusing are decreased by a quarter due to the hollow transverse intensity profile of the LG laser pulse, while the effect of channel focusing is the same order of magnitude with that of the FG laser pulse. Thus, the matched condition for the intense LG laser pulse with constant spot size is released obviously, while the parameters of the laser and plasma for the existence of solitary waves nearly coincide with those of the FG laser pulse.     

Compton散射对短脉冲强激光在次临界等离子体中自聚焦的影响

应用相对论理论和多光子非线性Compton散射模型,研究了Compton散射对短脉冲强激光在次临界等离子体中自聚焦的影响,提出了将入射光和Compton散射光作为形成激光自聚焦的新机制,给出了三级电流密度满足的修正方程,并进行了数值模拟。结果表明,相对论效应使等离子体中的短脉冲强激光自聚焦趋势减缓,而散射则加速了自聚焦的发展,总自聚焦趋势比无相对论时来得快一些,主要原因是由于散射光和入射光形成的耦合光频率较入射光频率增大,散射效应补偿了因相对论效应引起的自聚焦减缓效应的缘故。