Point-like plasma-limited high-temperature terahertz laser discharge

Abstract

Various methods for limiting the plasma volume made it possible to produce a continuous point-like high-temperature terahertz discharge at the Novosibirsk free-electron laser (NovoFEL). When a krypton-nitrogen jet was injected into the focus of the NovoFEL radiation, as compressed as possible and having an average power of about 200 W, a spherical plasma with a diameter of 1 mm, temperature of 4–4.5 eV (46 000–52 000 K), and density of 3.5 × 1017 cm−3 was obtained. The ion composition of the plasma is represented mainly by triply and doubly ionized krypton atoms (Kr IV and Kr III). The absolute stability of the plasma, which tends to self-oscillate, is achieved through the use of a special negative optical feedback.