Raman amplification in the coherent wavebreaking regime

TL;DR

This paper investigates the coherent wavebreaking regime in Raman amplification, revealing that significant transient amplification occurs after wavebreaking onset using a short, intense probe, leading to higher total energy transfer.

Contribution

It introduces the coherent wavebreaking (CWB) regime in Raman amplification, demonstrating its potential for higher energy transfer beyond traditional wavebreaking limits.

Findings

CWB enables significant amplification after wavebreaking onset.

Efficiency is moderate but total energy transfer is maximized in CWB.

Parameter scans differentiate behavior across regimes.

Abstract

In regimes far beyond the wavebreaking threshold of Raman amplification, we show that significant amplifcation can occur after the onset of wavebreaking, before phase mixing destroys the coherent coupling between pump, probe and plasma wave. Amplification in this regime is therefore a transient effect, with the higher-efficiency "coherent wavebreaking" (CWB) regime accessed by using a short, intense probe. Parameter scans illustrate the marked difference in behaviour between below wavebreaking, in which the energy-transfer efficiency is high but total energy transfer is low, wavebreaking, in which efficiency is low, and CWB, in which moderate efficiencies allow the highest total energy transfer.