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Article
Compression of laser radiation in plasmas via electromagnetic cascading
Physics of Plasmas (2006)
  • Serguei Y. Kalmykov
  • Gennady Shvets
Abstract

A train of few-laser-cycle relativistically intense radiation spikes with a terahertz repetition rate can be organized self-consistently in plasma from two frequency detuned co-propagating laser beams of low intensity. Large frequency bandwidth for the compression of spikes is produced via laser-induced periodic modulation of the plasma refractive index. The beat-wave-driven electron plasma wave downshifted from the plasma frequency creates a moving index grating thus inducing a periodic phase modulation of the driving laser (in spectral terms, electromagnetic cascading). The group velocity dispersion compresses the chirped laser beat notes to a few-cycle duration and relativistic intensity either concurrently in the same, or sequentially in different plasmas. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the effect persists in a realistic three-dimensional axisymmetric geometry.

Keywords
  • Electromagnetic cascading in plasmas,
  • pulse compression,
  • frequency combs,
  • radiation pulse trains,
  • group velocity dispersion,
  • self-guiding via electromagnetic cascading
Publication Date
Spring May, 2006
Citation Information
Serguei Y. Kalmykov and Gennady Shvets. "Compression of laser radiation in plasmas via electromagnetic cascading" Physics of Plasmas Vol. 13 (2006)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/serguei_kalmykov/17/