Research Paper: Investigation of Laser Self-Focusing in Quantum Plasma by the Moment Theory Approach

Abstract

In this work, considering the moment theory propagation of the laser beam with relativistic intensity in thermal quantum plasma is studied. Using the Maxwell equation and dielectric function obtained by the quantum hydrodynamic model, the mathematical equation for the laser beam width parameter is achieved and solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The results show that the stronger self-focusing effect is found in the moment theory compared to paraxial approximation. Also, similar to paraxial approximation, with growing Fermi temperature, plasma density and laser intensity, the oscillation frequency of the beam width parameter increases and focusing length decreases which means improving the self-focusing effect. Furthermore, it is seen that behaviors of the critical radius are not similar in the two theories, as in the moment theory, with increasing laser intensity, critical radius decreases until it becomes independent of the beam intensity, but in the paraxial approximation, the critical radius after a minimum value is enhanced with increasing laser intensity.

Keywords

• laser propagation in plasma
• quantum plasma
• beam width parameter
• moment theory
• quantum hydrodynamic model