Effects of laser polarization in the expansion of plasma waveguides

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate that a column of hydrogen plasma generated by an ultra-short (sub-picosecond), moderate intensity (∼1015–16 W.cm–2) laser, radially expands at a higher velocity when using a circularly polarized laser beam instead of a linearly polarized beam. Interferometry shows that after 1 ns there is a clear shock structure formed, that can be approximated to a cylindrical blast wave. The shock velocity was measured for plasmas created with linearly and circularly polarized laser beams, indicating an approximately 20% higher velocity for plasmas generated with a circularly polarized laser beam, thus implying a higher plasma electron temperature. The heating mechanism was determined to be the Above Threshold Ionization effect. The calculated electrum energy spectrum for a circularly polarized laser beam was broader when compared to the one generated by a linearly polarized laser beam, leading to a higher plasma temperature.