English

Stimulated Raman backscattering of laser radiation in deep plasma channels

Plasma Physics 2007-05-23 v1 Optics

Abstract

Stimulated Raman backscattering (RBS) of intense laser radiation confined by a single-mode plasma channel with a radial variation of plasma frequency greater than a homogeneous-plasma RBS bandwidth is characterized by a strong transverse localization of resonantly-driven electron plasma waves (EPW). The EPW localization reduces the peak growth rate of RBS and increases the amplification bandwidth. The continuum of non-bound modes of backscattered radiation shrinks the transverse field profile in a channel and increases the RBS growth rate. Solution of the initial-value problem shows that an electromagnetic pulse amplified by the RBS in the single-mode deep plasma channel has a group velocity higher than in the case of homogeneous-plasma Raman amplification. Implications to the design of an RBS pulse compressor in a plasma channel are discussed.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.physics/0405114,
  title  = {Stimulated Raman backscattering of laser radiation in deep plasma channels},
  author = {Serguei Kalmykov and Gennady Shvets},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0405114},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

11 pages, 3 figures; submitted to Physics of Plasmas