Related papers: Hydrodynamic, Optically-Field-Ionized (HOFI) Plasm…
We demonstrate optical guiding of high-intensity laser pulses in long, low density hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized (HOFI) plasma channels. An axicon lens is used to generate HOFI plasma channels with on-axis electron densities as low as…
We demonstrate through experiments and numerical simulations that low-density, low-loss, meter-scale plasma channels can be generated by employing a conditioning laser pulse to ionize the neutral gas collar surrounding a hydrodynamic…
We demonstrate experimentally that hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized (HOFI) plasma channels can be generated at kHz-scale pulse repetition rates, in a static gas cell and for an extended period. Using a pump-probe arrangement, we show via…
Hydrodynamic optically-field-ionized (HOFI) plasma channels up to 100mm long are investigated. Optical guiding is demonstrated of laser pulses with a peak input intensity of $6\times10^{17}$ W cm$^{-2}$ through 100mm long plasma channels…
In recent years, hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized (HOFI) channels have emerged as a promising technique to create laser waveguides suitable for guiding tightly-focused laser pulses in a plasma, as needed for laser-plasma accelerators.…
Hydrodynamic plasma waveguides initiated by optical field ionization (OFI) have recently become a key component of multi-GeV laser wakefield accelerators. Here, we present the most complete and accurate experimental and simulation-based…
Preformed plasma channels are essential for guiding high-power laser pulses over extended distances in laser wakefield accelerators, enabling the generation of multi-GeV electron beams for applications such as free-electron lasers and…
Creating extended, highly homogeneous plasma columns like that required by plasma wakefield accelerators can be a challenge. We study the propagation of ultra-short, TW power ionizing laser pulses in a 10-meter-long rubidium vapor and the…
X-ray lasers based on transitions in highly charged \textit{Ni}-like ions generating in the "water window" wavelength range can be pumped by compact laboratory discharge sources. This makes them promising candidates for use as compact…
We describe a simple scheme, truncated-channel injection, to inject electrons directly into the wakefield driven by a drive pulse guided by an all-optical plasma channel. We use this approach to generate dark-current-free 1.2 GeV, 4.5 %…
The formation of plasma channels with nonuniformity of about +- 3.5% has been demonstrated. The channels had a density of 1.2x10^19 cm-3 with a radius of 15 um and with length >= 2.5 mm. The channels were formed by 0.3 J, 100 ps laser…
Using femtosecond laser pulses at 800 and 400 nm, we characterize the formation of underdense channels in air generated by laser filamentation at the millijoule energy level by means of transverse interferometry. We find that using tight…
A method of creating plasma channels with controllable depth and transverse profile for the guiding of short, high power laser pulses for efficient electron acceleration is proposed. The plasma channel produced by the hydrogen-filled…
Plasmas with anisotropic electron velocity distribution functions are needed for the controlled study of kinetic plasma instabilities in the laboratory. We demonstrate that such plasma can be produced using ultrashort laser pulses via…
We demonstrate a new highly tunable technique for generating meter-scale low density plasma waveguides. Such guides can enable electron acceleration to tens of GeV in a single stage. Plasma waveguides are imprinted in hydrogen gas by…
Laser-plasma accelerators present a promising alternative to conventional accelerators. To fully exploit the extreme amplitudes of the plasma fields and produce high-quality beams, precise control over electron injection into the…
A three dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulation describing the interaction of an intense laser beam with a plasma slab is presented. It is observed that the laser generated electron current decays into magnetically isolated filaments. The…
Laser pulses of extreme intensities ($I>10^{22}~ \mathrm{W/cm^2}$) are about to become available in the laboratory. The prepulse of such a laser can induce a plasma expansion that generates a low-density channel in near-critical gas jets.…
The interaction of a free-electron-laser pulse with a moderate or large size cluster is known to create a quasi-neutral nanoplasma, which then expands on hydrodynamic timescale, i.e., $>1$ ps. To have a better understanding of ion and…
New techniques for the optical generation of plasma waveguides -- optical fibres for ultra-intense light pulses -- have become vital to the advancement of multi-GeV laser wakefield acceleration. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication and…