Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T16:04:26.067Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Pulse-compression and self-focusing of Gaussian laser pulses in plasma having relativistic–ponderomotive nonlinearity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2017

S. Kumar*
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
P.K. Gupta
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
R.K. Singh
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
S. Sharma
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
R. Uma
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
R.P. Sharma
Affiliation:
Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: S. Kumar, Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi 110016, India. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The mathematical model for the propagation of intense laser pulse in a plasma having Gaussian profile is investigated. The model has been formulated considering that the relativistic–ponderomotive nonlinearity dominates over other nonlinearities in the plasma. Model equation for self-compression and self-focusing properties of the laser pulse has been set up and solved by both semi-analytical and numerical methods. The result indicates that due to the effect of group velocity dispersion, diffraction of the laser pulse and the nonlinearity of medium, the pulse width parameter as well as beam width parameter of pulse gets focused at a different normalized distance, and hence the normalized intensity is also deferred at those points. Numerical simulation shows an oscillatory behavior of intensity during propagation in the plasma either having minimum beam radius (r 0) or having minimum pulse duration (t 0) depending on the normalized distance.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Akhmanov, S.A., Sukhorukov, A.P. & Khokhlov, R.V. (1968). Self-focusing and diffraction of light in a nonlinear medium. Phys. Uspk. 10, 609636.Google Scholar
Avitzour, Y. & Shvets, G. (2008). Manipulating electromagnetic waves in magnetized plasmas: compression, frequency shifting, and release. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 065006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bokaei, B. & Niknam, A.R. (2014). Weakly relativistic and ponderomotive effects on self-focusing and self-compression of laser pulses in near critical plasmas. Phys. Plasmas 21, 103107.Google Scholar
Brandi, H.S., Manus, C., Mainfray, G., Lehner, T. & Bonnaud, G. (1993). Relativistic and ponderomotive self- focusing of a laser beam in a radially inhomogeneous plasma – I. Paraxial approximation. Phys. Fluids: Plasma Phys. B 5, 35393550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chessa, P., Mora, P. & Antonsen, T.M. Jr. (1998). Numerical simulation of short laser pulse relativistic self-focusing in underdense plasma. Phys. Plasmas 5, 34513458.Google Scholar
Drake, J.F., Lee, Y.C., Nishikawa, K. & Tsintsadze, N.L. (1976). Breaking of large-amplitude waves as a result of relativistic electron-mass variation. Phys. Rev. Lett. 36, 196.Google Scholar
Drescher, M., Hentschel, M., Kienberger, R., Uiberacker, M., Yakovlev, V., Scrinzi, A. & Krausz, F. (2002). Time-resolved atomic inner-shell spectroscopy. Nature 419, 803807.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gattass, R.R. & Mazur, E. (2008). Femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent materials. Nat. Photonics 2, 219225.Google Scholar
Hauri, C.P., Kornelis, W., Helbing, F.W., Heinrich, A., Couairon, A., Mysyrowicz, A. & Keller, U. (2004). Generation of intense, carrier-envelope phase-locked few-cycle laser pulses through filamentation. Appl. Phys. B: Lasers Opt. 79, 673677.Google Scholar
Hora, H. (1975). Theory of relativistic self-focusing of laser radiation in plasmas. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 65, 882886.Google Scholar
Karle, C. & Spatschek, K.H. (2008). Relativistic laser pulse focusing and self-compression in stratified plasma-vacuum systems. Phys. Plasmas 15, 123102.Google Scholar
Kruer, W.L. (1988). The Physics of Laser Plasma Interactions. New York: Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar
Kumar, A., Gupta, M.K. & Sharma, R.P. (2006). Effect of ultra-intense laser pulse on the propagation of electron plasma wave in relativistic and ponderomotive regime and particle acceleration. Laser Part. Beams 24, 403409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehner, T. & Di Menza, L. (2000). Intense self-generated magnetic field in relativistic laser-matter interaction. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 127, 415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, Y., Sang, H.B., Wan, F., Lv, C. & Xie, B.S. (2015). Relativistic laser pulse compression in magnetized plasmas. Phys. Plasmas. 22, 073105.Google Scholar
Milchberg, H.M., Durfee, C.G. III & Mcilrath, T.J. (1995). High-order frequency conversion in the plasma waveguide. Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2494.Google Scholar
Mora, P. & Antonsen, T.M. Jr. (1997). Kinetic modeling of intense, short laser pulses propagating in tenuous plasmas. Phys. Plasmas 4, 217229.Google Scholar
Olumi, M. & Maraghechi, B. (2014). Self-compression of intense short laser pulses in relativistic magnetized plasma. Phys. Plasmas 21, 113102.Google Scholar
Pukhov, A. & Meyer-Ter-vehn, J. (1998). Relativistic laser–plasma interaction by multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Phys. Plasmas 5, 18801886.Google Scholar
Pukhov, A., Sheng, Z.M. & Meyer-Ter-vehn, J. (1999). Particle acceleration in relativistic laser channels. Phys. Plasmas 6, 28472854.Google Scholar
Purohit, G., Sharma, P. & Sharma, R.P. (2012). Filamentation of laser beam and suppression of stimulated Raman scattering due to localization of electron plasma wave. J. Plasma Phys. 78, 5563.Google Scholar
Rawat, P., Chauhan, P. & Purohit, G. (2013). Relativistic ponderomotive effect on the propagation of rippled laser beam and the excitation of electron plasma wave in collisionless plasma. Opt. Comm. 311, 317324.Google Scholar
Ren, C., Duda, B.J., Hemker, R.G., Mori, W.B., Katsouleas, T., Antonsen, T.M. Jr. & Mora, P. (2001). Compressing and focusing a short laser pulse by a thin plasma lens. Phys. Rev. E 63, 026411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharma, A. & Kourakis, I. (2010). Relativistic laser pulse compression in plasmas with a linear axial density gradient. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion. 52, 065002.Google Scholar
Shorokhov, O., Pukhov, A. & Kostyukov, I. (2003). Self-compression of laser pulses in plasma. Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 265002.Google Scholar
Sodha, M.S., Ghatak, A.K. & Tripathi, V.K. (1976). V self focusing of laser beams in plasmas and semiconductors. Progs. Opt. 13, 169265.Google Scholar
Strickland, D. & Mourou, G. (1985). Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses. Opt. Comm. 55, 447449.Google Scholar
Wilks, S.C., Kruer, W.L., Tabak, M. & Langdon, A.B. (1992). Absorption of ultra-intense laser pulses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 1383.Google Scholar