Evolution of a circularly polarized laser beam in an obliquely magnetized plasma channel

Abstract

AbstractThe evolution of the spot size and amplitude of a circularly polarized laser beam propagating in a plasma channel embedded in an obliquely applied magnetic field has been investigated. The wave equation describing the evolution of the radiation field is set up and a variational technique is used to obtain the equations governing the evolution of the spot size and amplitude. Numerical methods are used to analyze the evolution of the laser beam spot size and amplitude. It is seen that the amplitudes of the two transverse components of the electric field of the laser beam evolve differently, since they are driven by unequal current densities. This leads to the conversion of a circularly polarized laser beam into an elliptically polarized beam, under appropriate conditions.