Open AccessPlasma filament investigation by transverse optical interferometry and terahertz scattering
Author(s) -
S. B. Bodrov,
V. V. Bukin,
M. V. Tsarev,
A. A. Murzanev,
S. V. Garnov,
N. L. Aleksandrov,
А. Н. Степанов
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.006829
Subject(s) - optics , terahertz radiation , interferometry , femtosecond , scattering , protein filament , transverse plane , laser , thomson scattering , plasma , physics , materials science , electron density , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , composite material , engineering
Transverse plasma distribution with 10(17) cm(-3) maximum electron density and 150 μm transverse size in a plasma filament formed in air by an intense femtosecond laser pulse was measured by means of optical interferometry. Two orders of magnitude decay of the electron density within 2 ns was obtained by combined use of the interferometry and newly proposed terahertz scattering techniques. Excellent agreement was obtained between the measured plasma density evolution and theoretical calculation.