Electron acceleration and the propagation of ultrashort high-intensity laser pulses in plasmas

Xiaofang Wang, Mohan Krishnan, Ned Saleh, Haiwen Wang, Donald Umstadter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

75 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reported are interactions of high-intensity laser pulses (λ=810nm and I≤3×1018W/cm2) with plasmas in a new parameter regime, in which the pulse duration (τ=29fs) corresponds to 0.6–2.6 plasma periods. Relativistic filamentation is observed to cause laser-beam breakup and scattering of the beam out of the vacuum propagation angle. A beam of megaelectronvolt electrons with divergence angle as small as 1° is generated in the forward direction, which is correlated to the growth of the relativistic filamentation. Raman scattering, however, is found to be much less than previous long-pulse results.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5324-5327
Number of pages4
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume84
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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