Abstract
We report the first clear experimental demonstration of relativistic self-channeling of a multiterawatt laser pulse interacting with an underdense plasma. We show via Thomson scattering observations that for laser power above the critical power for self-focusing the beam remains trapped and guided over the plasma length. These observations are in fairly good agreement with a numerical model describing the laser propagation and taking into account the plasma response to the ponderomotive force.
- Received 2 September 1994
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.2953
©1995 American Physical Society