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Compression Of Laser Radiation In Plasmas Via Electromagnetic Cascading, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Gennady Shvets

Serge Youri Kalmykov

A train of few-laser-cycle relativistically intense radiation spikes with a terahertz repetition rate can be organized self-consistently in plasma from two frequency detuned co-propagating laser beams of low intensity. Large frequency bandwidth for the compression of spikes is produced via laser-induced periodic modulation of the plasma refractive index. The beat-wave-driven electron plasma wave downshifted from the plasma frequency creates a moving index grating thus inducing a periodic phase modulation of the driving laser (in spectral terms, electromagnetic cascading). The group velocity dispersion compresses the chirped laser beat notes to a few-cycle duration and relativistic intensity either concurrently in the same, …