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Possibility of pulse compression of a short-pulse laser in a plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1998

S. SHIBU ,
JETENDRA PARASHAR  and
H. D. PANDEY
S. SHIBU
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110 016, India
JETENDRA PARASHAR
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110 016, India
H. D. PANDEY
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110 016, India
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Abstract

On account of nonlinear refraction, arising through the relativistic mass effect, a short intense laser pulse tends to accumulate its energy around the intensity maximum, leading to pulse compression over a length Zc≈ τ0c2ω2/ ω2pv, where τ0 and ω are the pulse duration and frequency of the laser, v is the oscillatory electron velocity and ωp is the plasma frequency. When the transverse extent of the laser is finite, nonlinear self-focusing interferes strongly with this process. The self-focusing occurs in a periodic manner on a shorter scale length. However, over long lengths of pulse propagation, pulse compression could be significant.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 91 - 96
Copyright
1998 Cambridge University Press

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