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All-Optical Control Of Nonlinear Self-Focusing In Plasmas Using Non-Resonantly Driven Plasma Wave, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Bradley A. Shadwick, Michael C. Downer
All-Optical Control Of Nonlinear Self-Focusing In Plasmas Using Non-Resonantly Driven Plasma Wave, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Bradley A. Shadwick, Michael C. Downer
Serge Youri Kalmykov
Excitation of plasma density perturbations by an initially bi-color laser pulse helps to control nonlinear refraction in the plasma and enables various types of laser self-guiding. In this report we consider a setup that not only makes possible the transport of laser energy over cm-long relatively dense plasmas (n_0 = 10^{18} cm^{−3}) but also transforms the pulse into the unique format inaccessible to the conventional amplification techniques (relativistically intense periodic trains of few-cycle spikes). This well focusable pulse train is a novel light source interesting for ultra-fast high-field science applications. The opposite case of suppression of nonlinear self-focusing and dynamical …
All-Optical Control Of Nonlinear Focusing Of Laser Beams In Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Gennady Shvets
All-Optical Control Of Nonlinear Focusing Of Laser Beams In Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Gennady Shvets
Serge Youri Kalmykov
Nonlinear focusing of a bi-color laser in plasma can be controlled by varying the difference frequency \Omega. The driven electron density perturbation forms a co-moving periodic focusing (de-focusing) channel if \Omega is below (above) the electron Langmuir frequency \omega_p. Hence, the beam focusing is enhanced for \Omega < \omega_p and is suppressed otherwise. In particular, a catastrophic relativistic self-focusing of a high-power laser beam can be prevented all-optically by a second, much weaker, co-propagating beam shifted in frequency by \Omega > \omega_p. A bi-envelope equation describing the early stage of the mutual de-focusing is derived and analyzed. Later stages, characterized by a well-developed electromagnetic cascade, are investigated numerically. Stable propagation of the over-critical laser pulse over several Rayleigh lengths is predicted. The non-resonant plasma beat wave (\Omega \not= \omega_p) can accelerate pre-injected electrons above …
All-Optical Suppression Of Relativistic Self-Focusing Of Laser Beams In Plasmas, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Gennady Shvets
All-Optical Suppression Of Relativistic Self-Focusing Of Laser Beams In Plasmas, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Gennady Shvets
Serge Youri Kalmykov
It is demonstrated that a catastrophic relativistic self-focusing (RSF) of a high-power laser pulse can be prevented all-optically by a second, much weaker, copropagating pulse. RSF suppression occurs when the difference frequency of the pulses slightly exceeds the electron plasma frequency. The mutual defocusing is caused by the three-dimensional electron density perturbation driven by the laser beat wave slightly above the plasma resonance. A bi-envelope model describing the early stage of the mutual defocusing is derived and analyzed. Later stages, characterized by the presence of a strong electromagnetic cascade, are investigated numerically. Stable propagation of the laser pulse with weakly …
Guiding Of Laser Beams In Plasmas By Radiation Cascade Compression, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Gennady Shvets
Guiding Of Laser Beams In Plasmas By Radiation Cascade Compression, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Gennady Shvets
Serge Youri Kalmykov
The near-resonant beatwave excitation of an electron plasma wave (EPW) can be employed for generating trains of few-fs electromagnetic pulses in rarefied plasmas. The EPW produces a co-moving index grating that induces a laser phase modulation at the beat frequency. Consequently, the cascade of sidebands red- and blue-shifted from the fundamental by integer multiples of the beat frequency is generated in the laser spectrum. When the beat frequency is lower than the electron plasma frequency, the phase chirp enables laser beatnote compression by the group velocity dispersion [S. Kalmykov and G. Shvets, Phys. Rev. E 73, 46403 (2006)]. In the …