Guiding of optical laser pulses in fast capillary discharge plasma columns

Bradley M. Luther D.V.M.; Yong Wang; Mario C. Marconi; M. Berrill; D. Alessi; J. L. A. Chilla; Jorge J. Rocca

doi:10.1117/12.507661

19 December 2003 Guiding of optical laser pulses in fast capillary discharge plasma columns

Bradley M. Luther D.V.M., Yong Wang, Mario C. Marconi, M. Berrill, D. Alessi, J. L. A. Chilla, Jorge J. Rocca

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5197, Soft X-Ray Lasers and Applications V; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507661
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We report the generation and characterization of plasma waveguides in a highly ionized Ar plasma created by a fast capillary discharge. Their results are of interest for the efficient longitudinal laser excitation of collisional soft x-ray lasers. A discharge-driven hydrodynamic compression guides progressively lower order modes through a plasma with increasing density and degree of ionization. The mode structure and guiding properties were investigated using near and far field imaging, and transmission measurements. The lowest order mode (FWHM diameter ~ 50 um) is guided with an energy transmission of ~ 75% over a 5.5 cm long plasma a fraction of a ns before the discharge plasma column reaches the conditions for lasing in Ne-like Ar. The rapid expansion of the highly ionized plasma column after the pinch forms a significantly more leaky and absorbent waveguide.

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Bradley M. Luther D.V.M., Yong Wang, Mario C. Marconi, M. Berrill, D. Alessi, J. L. A. Chilla, and Jorge J. Rocca "Guiding of optical laser pulses in fast capillary discharge plasma columns", Proc. SPIE 5197, Soft X-Ray Lasers and Applications V, (19 December 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507661

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