Nonlinear spatiotemporal control of laser intensity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a nonlinear method called 'self-flying focus' that enables arbitrary, sustained spatiotemporal control of laser intensity, surpassing conventional optics limitations for applications like plasma acceleration.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel nonlinear technique combining pulse shaping and medium nonlinearity to achieve customizable, long-distance laser intensity control along arbitrary trajectories.

Findings

Simulations demonstrate formation of uniform, meter-scale plasma

Technique allows sustained control over laser focus trajectory

Potential applications in plasma-based accelerators

Abstract

Spatiotemporal control over the intensity of a laser pulse has the potential to enable or revolutionize a wide range of laser-based applications that currently suffer from the poor flexibility offered by conventional optics. Specifically, these optics limit the region of high intensity to the Rayleigh range and provide little to no control over the trajectory of the peak intensity. Here, we introduce a nonlinear technique for spatiotemporal control, the "self-flying focus," that produces an arbitrary trajectory intensity peak that can be sustained for distances comparable to the focal length. The technique combines temporal pulse shaping and the inherent nonlinearity of a medium to customize the time and location at which each temporal slice within the pulse comes to its focus. As an example of its utility, simulations show that the self-flying focus can form a highly uniform, meter-scale plasma suitable for advanced plasma-based accelerators.