Plasma parameters of a capillary discharge-produced plasma channel to guide an intense laser pulse

Abstract

We demonstrated the production of an optical waveguide in a capillary discharge-produced plasma. Plasma parameters of its waveguide were characterized by use of both a laser interferometer and a hydrogen plasma line spectrum. A maximum temperature of 3.3 eV with electron densities of the order of 10 17 cm-3 was observed at a discharge time of 150 ns and a maximum discharge current of 400 A. An ultrashort, intense laser pulse was guided over long vacuum Rayleigh lengths using this plasma channel. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.