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Propagation of a high-contrast subpicosecond (400–600 fs) relativistic (Iλ2 up to 2×1019 W⋅cm−2⋅μm2) laser pulse through long preformed overdense plasmas is experimentally studied. Transmission values up to 10% are measured in plasmas with initial peak densities above 10×nc. We compare these results with one-dimensional (1D) analytical calculations of the hole boring effect. It is shown that the ponderomotive force of the laser beam can push forward the overdense plasma, create a channel, and lead to transmission levels similar to the experimental ones.

Propagation of a high-contrast frequency-doubled subpicosecond (300 fs) relativistic (Iλ2 up to 5×1018 W⋅cm−2⋅μm2) laser pulse through thin and initially solid foils is studied. Transmission values up to 10% are measured through targets with initial near solid densities. The strong intensity threshold observed for the transmitted energy is correlated with clear modifications of the transmitted and reflected spectra, electron generation, and beam imaging. Two-dimensional Cartesian particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations that qualitatively reproduce the experimental results suggest specific rapid heating of the thin targets by fast electrons, plasma expansion, and density decrease to relativistically transmissive conditions during the pulse.

Measurements of self-channeling of picosecond laser pulses due to relativistic and ponderomotive expulsion effects have been obtained in preformed plasmas at laser irradiances between 5–9×1018 Wcm−2. The self-focused channel was surrounded by a multi-megagauss magnetic field. The orientation of the field was consistent with a forward going relativistic electron beam propagating along the laser pulse. Self-channeling and magnetic field generation mechanisms were modeled by multidimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and good agreement was obtained with the experimental observations. Measurements of the channel expansion after the interaction were obtained and the rate of expansion was consistent with a blast wave solution. The level of transmission of an intense laser pulse through such performed density channels was observed to increase significantly compared to the case without a channel. High levels of transmission of an intense laser pulse through microtubes were also observed. The relevance of...

The experimental images of the sidescattered light from a plasma, created by the multiterawatt laser pulse propagating in a hydrogen gas jet, exhibit clear dependence on both gas jet pressure and laser power. Two‐ and three‐dimensional simulations of wave propagation, in presence of the relativistic electron mass increase and the ponderomotive expel of electrons, have been performed to reproduce the Thomson radiation from the plasma electrons. They show electron cavitation induced by the beam focusing, self‐focusing, self‐guiding, smoothing of the beam nonuniformities and, at larger power, beam filamentation. A bremsstrahlung model with account of the ionization, heating, expansion, and recombination dynamics of the gas, provides the plasma emission background. Both Thomson emission and bremsstrahlung are required to recover the experimental emission patterns. Among the interpretations, a scenario of laser self‐guiding over five Rayleigh lengths can be found for 10 TW laser power and 5×1018 cm−3 electron density, which surprisingly disappears at larger powers and densities.