Compressing high-power laser beams in plasmas via generation of a coherent cascade of electromagnetic sidebands is described. The technique requires two copropagating beams detuned by a near-resonant frequency Omega approximately < omega(p). The ponderomotive force of the laser beat wave drives an electron plasma wave which modifies the refractive index of plasma so as to produce a periodic pha...

The NASA Lewis Research Center has designed and fabricated a closed-cycle, continuous wave (CW), carbon dioxide (COj) high-power laser to support research for the indentlflcatlon and evaluation of possible high-power laser applications. The device Is designed to generate up to 70 kW of laser power In annular-shape beams from 1 to 9 cm In diameter. Electric discharge, either self-sustained or el...

It is shown that the interaction of an electron beam with polarized electromagnetic wave of laser photons propagating in the same direction in a short interaction region results in significant transversal deflection of the electrons which can be used for production of femtosecond electron and synchrotron radiation beams, for chopping the electron beams and construction of laser oscilloscopes me...

We describe the development and characterization of a near-infrared diode-laser-based sensor to measure the vapor from trace gases having unstructured absorption spectra. The technique uses two equal amplitude-modulated laser beams, with the modulation of the two lasers differing in phase by 180 deg. One of the laser beams is at a wavelength absorbed by the gas [for these experiments, vapor is ...

We describe a technique for creating superpositions of degenerate quantum states, such as are needed for beam splitters used in matter-wave optics, by manipulating the timing of three orthogonally polarized laser beams through which moving atoms (or molecules) pass; motion across the laser beams produces pulses in the atomic rest frame. As illustrated with representative simulations for transit...

Traditionally, interactions between laser beams or filaments were considered to be deterministic. We show, however, that in most physical settings, these interactions ultimately become stochastic. Specifically, we show that in the nonlinear propagation of laser beams, the shot-to-shot variation of the nonlinear phase shift increases with distance, and ultimately becomes uniformly distributed in...

Currently, cylindrical beams with radial or azimuthal polarization are being used successfully for the optical manipulation of micro- and nano-particles as well as in microscopy, lithography, nonlinear optics, materials processing, and telecommunication applications. The creation of these laser beams is carried out using segmented polarizing plates, subwavelength gratings, interference, or ligh...

Proton acceleration from the interaction of ultra-short laser pulses with thin foil targets at intensities greater than 10(18) W cm(-2) is discussed. An overview of the physical processes giving rise to the generation of protons with multi-MeV energies, in well defined beams with excellent spatial quality, is presented. Specifically, the discussion centres on the influence of laser pulse contra...