Triggering Discharge and Guiding Discharge Path by Weak Ionized Channel with Different Wavelength Laser Beams

Guiding of intense laser beams in highly ionized plasma columns generated by a fast capillary discharge.

We have demonstrated the guiding of laser pulses with peak intensities up to 2.2 x 10(17) W/cm(2) in a 5.5 cm long plasma column containing highly charged Ar ions generated by a fast capillary discharge. A rapid discharge-driven hydrodynamic compression guides progressively lower order modes through a plasma with increasing density and degree of ionization, until the guide collapses on axis. Th...

Triggering and guiding HV discharge in air by filamentation of single and dual fs pulses.

The triggering and guiding of the stationary high voltage (HV) discharges at 5-40 kV are demonstrated by using plasma filaments generated by single and dual femtosecond(fs) laser pulses in air. A significant reduction of the breakdown voltage threshold due to the pre-ionization of the air gap by laser pulse filamentaion was observed. The amount of free electrons of filaments generated by differ...

Triggering and guiding megavolt discharges by use of laser-induced ionized filaments.

We have demonstrated the ability to trigger and guide high-voltage discharges with ionized filaments generated by femtosecond terawatt laser pulses. The plasma filaments extended over the whole gap, providing a direct ohmic connection between the electrodes. Laser-guided straight discharges have been observed for gaps of as much as 3.8 m at a high voltage reduced to 68% of the natural breakdown...

Discharge, discharge variability, and the bedrock channel profile

Guiding of high-intensity laser pulses with a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide.

We report guiding of laser pulses with peak input intensities greater than 10(17) W cm(-2) in 30 mm and 50 mm long H2-filled capillary discharge waveguides. Under conditions producing good guiding the coupling and propagation losses of the waveguide were <4% and (7+/-1) m(-1), respectively. The spectra of the transmitted pulses were not broadened significantly, but were shifted to shorter wavel...