Electron acceleration and the propagation of ultrashort high-intensity laser pulses in plasmas
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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses
Published on: July 2, 2012
1Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA.
Abstract:
Reported are interactions of high-intensity laser pulses ( lambda = 810 nm and I=3x10(18) W/cm(2)) with plasmas in a new parameter regime, in which the pulse duration ( tau = 29 fs) 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 degrees 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.
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