Suppression of power losses during laser pulse propagation in underdense plasma slab

Abstract

For current state-of-the-art terawatt lasers, the primary laser scattering mechanisms in plasma include forward Raman scattering (FRS), excitation of plasma waves, and the filamentation instability. Using 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we demonstrate that FRS dominates in the regime with medium-to-low density plasma and non-relativistic laser fields. We numerically show that FRS can be suppressed using a two-color laser with frequency detuning exceeding the plasma frequency, Δω>ωpe, leading to a more efficient laser energy transmission. An optimal laser pulse energy redistribution ratio is predicted analytically and verified by PIC simulations.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2021
Source ID
10.1063/5.0036759

Entities

People

  • K. V. Lezhnin
  • Kenan Qu
  • Nathaniel Fisch

Organizations

  • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
  • Princeton University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers