Open AccessSpatio-temporal modification of femtosecond focal spot under tight focusing condition
Author(s) -
Tae Moon Jeong,
Stefan Weber,
B. Le Garrec,
D. Margarone,
Tomáš Mocek,
G. Korn
Publication year - 2015
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.23.011641
Subject(s) - optics , femtosecond , physics , paraxial approximation , laser , superposition principle , scalar (mathematics) , diffraction , electric field , intensity (physics) , beam (structure) , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics
The focusing property of a focal spot of a femtosecond laser pulse is presented under tight focusing conditions (below f-number of 1). The spatial and temporal intensity distributions of a focused electric field are calculated by vector diffraction integrals and coherent superposition method. The validity of the calculation method is examined by comparing the intensity distribution obtained under a high f-number condition to that obtained with the fast Fourier transform method that assumes the scalar paraxial approximation. The spatial and temporal modifications under tight focusing conditions are described for a focused femtosecond laser pulse. The calculation results show that a peak intensity of about 2.5x10(24) W/cm2 can be achievable by tightly focusing a 12-fs, 10 PW laser pulse with a f/0.5 parabolic optic. The precise information on intensity distributions of a femtosecond focal spot obtained under a tight focusing condition will be crucial in assessing a focused intensity and in describing the motion of charged particles under an extremely strong electric field in ultra-relativistic and/or relativistic laser matter-interaction studies.