Experimental study of nanosecond laser-generated plasma channels

Year: 2020

Authors: Levato T., Nevrkla M., Nawaz MF., Giuffrida L., Grepl F., Zulic H., Pilar J., Hanus M., Divoky M., Lucianetti A., Mocek T., Margarone D

Autors Affiliation: CAS, ELI Beamlines, Inst Phys, Slovance 2, Prague 18221, Czech Republic; CNR, Ist Nazl Ott, Via G Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy; Czech Tech Univ, Fac Nucl Sci & Phys Engn, Brehova 7, Prague 11519 1, Czech Republic; Czech Acad Sci, Inst Phys, HiLASE Ctr, Radnici 828, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic; Queens Univ Belfast, Ctr Plasma Phys, Belfast BT7 1NN, Antrim, North Ireland.

Abstract: Generation of plasma-channels by interaction of gas targets with nanosecond laser beams was investigated experimentally. Such laser-generated plasma channels are very promising for subsequent guiding of high peak power femtosecond laser pulses, over several tens of centimeters, as required in laser wake field electron-acceleration (LWFA). The experimental setup was based on the use of a cylindrical lens (100 mm of focal length) with the aim of proposing a technical solution easy to be integrated into a compact experimental setup for acceleration of multi-GeV electron beams using high peak-power laser systems. A pilot experiment, showing production of asymmetric plasma channels over a length of several millimeters in N and Ar targets with initial neutral-gas atomic density around 5 x 10(19)cm(-3), is reported. Plasma effective threshold formation was estimated, along with future optimization of the optical setup for a symmetrization of such plasma channel. Scalability of this concept to several tens of centimeters is preliminarily discussed, along with the corresponding critical requirements for an optimal LWFA scheme.

Journal/Review: APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL

Volume: 10 (12)      Pages from: 4082  to: 4082

More Information: This work was carried out within the Particle Acceleration by Laser Research Program (RP3) at ELI-Beamlines. This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund, by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Project No. LQ1606) and by the project “Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles” (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789). The work was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic (project HiLASE CoE: Grant No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_006/0000674) and also supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Programmes NPU I Project No. LO1602 and Large Research Infrastructure Project No. LM2015086).
KeyWords: LWFA; plasma guiding; nanosecond laser; laser-plasma acceleration
DOI: 10.3390/app10124082

Citations: 1
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