Splash plasma channels produced by picosecond laser pulses in argon gas for laser wakefield acceleration

Abstract

Short-lived, ∼10 ps, deep plasma channels, with their lengths of ∼1 mm and diameters of ∼20 μm, are observed and characterized in Ar gas jets irradiated by moderate intensity, ∼10^{15–16} W/cm^{2}, laser pulses with a duration from subpicosecond to several picoseconds. The channels, upon 2D particle-in-cell simulations including ionization, fit well in the guiding of high intensity femtosecond laser pulses and, therefore, in laser wakefield acceleration with a controllable electron self-injection.