Open AccessMeasurement and control of large diameter ionization waves of arbitrary velocity
Author(s) -
P. Franke,
D. Turnbull,
J. Katz,
J. P. Palastro,
I. A. Begishev,
J. Bromage,
Jessica Shaw,
R. Boni,
Dustin Froula
Publication year - 2019
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.27.031978
Subject(s) - optics , ionization , physics , interferometry , spectral density , laser , transverse plane , focus (optics) , computational physics , ion , statistics , mathematics , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , engineering
Large diameter, flying focus driven ionization waves of arbitrary velocity (IWAV's) were produced by a defocused laser beam in a hydrogen gas jet, and their spatial and temporal electron density characteristics were measured using a novel, spectrally resolved interferometry diagnostic. A simple analytic model predicts the effects of power spectrum non-uniformity on the IWAV trajectory and transverse profile. This model compares well with the measured data and suggests that spectral shaping can be used to customize IWAV behavior and increase controlled propagation of ionization fronts for plasma-photonics applications.