Simulations of the propagation of high-intensity laser pulses in discharge-ablated capillary waveguides

We present the results of simulations of the propagation of high-intensity laser pulses in discharge-ablated capillary waveguides. The limitations of this type of waveguide for pulse intensities of the order of 10(16) W cm(-2 ) are discussed. However, for higher intensities we describe a new regime o f quasi-matched golding, that results in significant improvements in guidin g performance. The effect on quasi-matched guiding of changing the atomic n umbers of the atoms that compose the plasma waveguide is discussed. Calcula tions are presented for boron capillaries that show quasi-matched guiding o ver lengths of 32 mm for an input intensity of 5 x 10(17) W cm(-2). (C) 200 0 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(00)00609-3].