Investigation of a hydrogen plasma waveguide

Area of Science:

• Plasma physics
• Laser-matter interaction
• Waveguide technology

Background:

• High-intensity laser pulses require effective guiding structures.
• Plasma waveguides offer a potential solution for laser pulse propagation.
• Capillary discharges are a method for generating plasma channels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a hydrogen plasma waveguide for high-intensity laser pulses.
• To characterize the guiding channel properties.
• To determine the operational lifetime of the capillary.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a guiding channel via a small-scale discharge in a hydrogen-filled capillary.
• Interferometric measurements to determine electron density.
• Estimation of capillary lifetime based on operational performance.

Main Results:

• A stable guiding channel was formed in a hydrogen-filled capillary.
• The capillary demonstrated a measured lifetime exceeding 10^6 shots.
• Interferometric measurements revealed a highly ionized channel with an axial electron density of 2.7x10^18 cm^-3.
• The guiding channel exhibited a parabolic profile, corresponding to a matched spot-size of 37.5 micrometers.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrogen plasma waveguide is effective for guiding high-intensity laser pulses.
• The system exhibits excellent durability with a long capillary lifetime.
• The characterized plasma channel properties are suitable for advanced laser applications.