Dj. Spence et al., First demonstration of guiding of high-intensity laser pulses in a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide, J PHYS B, 34(21), 2001, pp. 4103-4112
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS
The results of the first experiments to demonstrate guiding of high-intensi
ty laser pulses through a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide are
described. Measurements of the temporal behaviour during the discharge of
both the pulse energy transmission and the transverse spatial profile of th
e beam in the exit plane of the waveguide are presented. Guiding of laser p
ulses with a peak input intensity of greater than 10(16) W cm(-2) was obser
ved for 20 and 40 mm long waveguides with pulse energy transmissions of app
roximately 90% and 80%, respectively, The proportion of energy coupled into
the waveguide and the propagation loss were determined to be (96 +/- 2)% a
nd (4 +/- 1) m(-1). More than 10(3) laser pulses were guided through the sa
me capillary.