We use the qualitative, simplified modeling, and approximately self-consistent nonlinear-optical approaches to explain the nature of the regime under which relativistically intense laser pulses propagate in a plasma to distances exceeding the Rayleigh length considerably, as was found earlier by numerical simulation. Such a regime requires certain matching of the size of the laser spot with the plasma density and the laser pulse intensity. It corresponds to the so-called self-trapping of radiation, which has been well known since the 1960s for the quadratic nonlinearity of the medium’s dielectric permittivity and, as has been established, takes place for the relativistic plasma nonlinearity as well. The case of the plasma with a near-critical density is considered as it is of greatest interest in the context of practical applications. Synchronization of chaotic motions of the electrons accelerated by the laser pulse in the self-trapping regime is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
T. Tajima and J.M.Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett., 43, No. 4, 267–270 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.43.267
E. Esarey, P. Sprangle, J. Krall, and A. Ting, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., 24, No. 2, 252–288 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1109/27.509991
A. Pukhov and J.Meyer-ter-Vehn, Appl. Phys. B, 74, 355–361 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003400200795
V.Yu.Bychenkov, M.G. Lobok, V. F. Kovalev, and A. V. Brantov, Plasma Phys. Contr. Fus., 61, No. 12, 124004 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ab5142
M. G. Lobok, A. V. Brantov, and V.Yu. Bychenkov, Phys. Plasmas, 26, 123107 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5125968
V. I. Talanov, Radiophys., 7, No. 3, 254–255 (1964).
R. Y. Chiao, E. Garmire, and C. Townes, Phys. Rev. Lett., 13, 479–482 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.13.479
S.A.Akhmanov, A. P. Sukhorukov, and R.V.Khokhlov, Sov. Phys. JETP, 23, No. 6, 1025–1033 (1966).
S. Gordienko and A. Pukhov, Phys. Plasmas, 12, 043109 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1884126
W. Lu, M. Tzoufras, C. Joshi, et al., Phys. Rev. Spec.: Top.-Accel. Beams, 10, 061301 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.10.061301
P. E. Masson-Laborde, M. Z. Mo, AAli, et al., Phys. Plasmas, 21, 123113 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903851
M. G. Lobok, D. A. Gozhev, A.V.Brantov, and V.Yu.Bychenkov, Plasma Phys. Contr. Fus., 60, No. 8, 084010 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/aaca79
A. B. Borisov, A. V. Borovskiy, O. B. Shiryaev, et al., Phys. Rev. A, 45, 5830–5845 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.45.5830
M. D. Feit, A.M.Komashko, S. L. Musher, et al., Phys.Rev. E, 57, 7122–7125 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.57.7122
A. Komashko, S. Musher, A. Rubenchik, et al., JETP Lett., 62, No. 11, 860–865 (1995).
M.D. Feit, J.C.Garrison and A.M. Rubenchik, Phys.Rev. E, 56, No. 3, R2394–R2397 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.56.R2394
A. V. Borovsky, A. L. Galkin, and O.B. Shiryaev, and T. Auguste, Laser Physics at Relativistic Intensities, Springer, New York (2003).
L. A. Abramyan, A.G. Litvak, V. A. Mironov, and A.M. Sergeev, Sov. Phys. JETP, 75, 978–982 (1992).
T. Zh. Esirkepov, F. F. Kamenets, S. V. Bulanov, and N.M.Naumova, JETP Lett., 68, No. 1, 36– 41 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1134/1.567817
F. Cattani, A. Kim, D. Anderson, and M. Lisak, Phys. Rev. E, 64, 016412 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.64.016412
A. Kim, M. Tushentsov, F. Cattani, et al., Phys. Rev. E, 65, 036416 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.65.036416
G.-Z. Sun, E. Ott, Y. C. Lee, and P. Guzdar, Phys. Fluids, 30, 526–532 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866349
V. F. Kovalev and D. V. Shirkov, Phys. Usp., 51, No. 8, 815–830. https://doi.org/10.1070/PU2008v051n08ABEH006590
V. F. Kovalev and V.Yu.Bychenkov, JETP Lett., 107, No. 8, 458–463. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0021364018080118
V. F. Kovalev and V.Yu.Bychenkov, Phys. Rev. E, 99, 043201 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.99.043201
S. Sen, M.A.Varshney, and D. Varshney, ISRN Opt., 2013, Nos. 1–8, 642617 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/986924
I. Kostyukov, A. Pukhov, and S. Kiselev, Phys. Plasmas, 11, No. 11, 5256–5264 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1799371
A. Pikovsky, M. Rosenblum, and J. Kurths, Synchronization. A Universal Concept in Nonlinear Sciences, Cambridge Univ. Press (2001).
S. Kneip, C.McGuffey, J. L. Martins, et al., Nature Phys., 6, 980–983 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1789
A. Rousse, K.T.Phuoc, R. Shah, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 93, No. 13, 135005 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.135005
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 63, Nos. 9–10, pp. 825–839, September–October 2020.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bychenkov, V.Y., Kovalev, V.F. Self-Trapping of Extreme Light. Radiophys Quantum El 63, 742–755 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11141-021-10093-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11141-021-10093-9