Abstract
The authors show that an ultrashort, relativistic intensity laser pulse can propagate for hundreds of Rayleigh ranges in a prepared neutral hydrogen channel by generating its own plasma waveguide as it propagates.
Highlights
Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has been the subject of intensive worldwide research for its promise of producing high quality electron bunches in the range of hundreds of GeV to TeV for high-energy physics [1,2,3] A single acceleration stage of such a device will require a guiding structure to maintain an intense drive laser pulse at relativistic intensities over many Rayleigh ranges of propagation with high group velocity and low electromagnetic leakage loss [4]
We assess the ability of an optical field ionization (OFI)-heated hydrogen plasma to confine and guide a low intensity end-injected laser pulse by examining the plasma’s transverse refractive index profile
We have presented results from detailed experiments and simulations showing that an intense ultrashort laser pulse can generate its own plasma waveguide as it propagates through a long refractive index structure imprinted in neutral gas
Summary
Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has been the subject of intensive worldwide research for its promise of producing high quality electron bunches in the range of hundreds of GeV to TeV for high-energy physics [1,2,3] A single acceleration stage of such a device will require a guiding structure to maintain an intense drive laser pulse at relativistic intensities over many Rayleigh ranges of propagation with high group velocity and low electromagnetic leakage loss [4]
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