Open AccessPlasma modulator for high-power intense lasers
Author(s) -
Yao Zhao,
Shangkun Weng,
Zheng-Ming Sheng,
Ning Kang,
Huiya Liu,
Jianqiang Zhu,
Jie Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.392026
Subject(s) - laser , optics , physics , raman scattering , plasma , modulation (music) , picosecond , raman spectroscopy , quantum mechanics , acoustics
A type of plasma-based optical modulator is proposed for the generation of broadband high-power laser pulses. Compared with normal optical components, plasma-based optical components can sustain much higher laser intensities. Here we illustrate via theory and simulation that a high-power sub-relativistic laser pulse can be self-modulated to a broad bandwidth over 100% after it passes through a tenuous plasma. In this scheme, the self-modulation of the incident picoseconds sub-relativistic pulse is realized via stimulated Raman forward rescattering in the quasi-linear regime, where the stimulated Raman backscattering is heavily dampened. The optimal laser and plasma parameters for this self-modulation have been identified. For a laser with asub-relativistic intensity of I ∼ 10 17 W/cm 2 , the time scale for the development of self-modulation is around 10 3 light periods when stimulated Raman forward scattering has been fully developed. Consequently, the spatial scale required for such a self-modulation is in the order of millimeters. For a tenuous plasma, the energy conversion efficiency of this self-modulation is around 90%. Theoretical predictions are verified by both one-dimensional and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.