Plasma zone plate for high-power lasers driven by a Laguerre-Gaussian beam

TL;DR

This paper introduces a plasma zone plate driven by a Laguerre-Gaussian beam's ponderomotive force, offering a novel plasma-based optical element capable of focusing high-power lasers with high damage thresholds.

Contribution

The paper develops a theoretical framework and simulation validation for a plasma zone plate driven by Laguerre-Gaussian beams, enabling high-power laser manipulation.

Findings

Successful formation of plasma zone plate demonstrated in simulations

Effective focusing of high-power lasers achieved with plasma optics

Potential for high-damage-threshold laser manipulation

Abstract

Plasma-based optics has emerged as an attractive alternative to traditional solid-state optics for high-power laser manipulation due to its higher damage threshold. In this work, we propose a plasma zone plate (PZP) driven by the ponderomotive force of a Laguerre-Gaussian beam when it irradiates an underdense plasma slice. We formulate the theory of the PZP and demonstrate its formation and function of focusing high-power lasers using particle-in-cell simulations. The proposed scheme may offer a new method to focus and manipulate high-power lasers with plasma-based optics