Relativistic self-focusing of Laguerre-

Gaussian beam in an underdense plasma

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2136, 060006 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120952
Published Online: 09 August 2019

Manish Dwivedi, Rajat Dhawan, Sheetal Punia, and Hitendra K. Malik

ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Simple design for SPR at 1.33 and 1.55 µm of birefringent PCF

AIP Conference Proceedings 2136, 050010 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120943

Current generation by Bessel beam in laser plasma interaction

AIP Conference Proceedings 2136, 060009 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120955

High power terahertz (THz) radiation generation through the nonlinear interaction of cosh-
Gaussian laser beams in cluster plasma
AIP Conference Proceedings 2136, 060008 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120954

AIP Conference Proceedings 2136, 060006 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120952 2136, 060006

© 2019 Author(s).
 Relativistic Self-Focusing of Laguerre-Gaussian Beam in an
Underdense Plasma
Manish Dwivedia), Rajat Dhawanb), Sheetal Puniac) and Hitendra K. Malikd)

PST Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi – 110 016, India
c)
Corresponding author:sheetalpunia.iitd@gmail.com
b)
rajatdhawan147@gmail.com
a)
manishdwivedi.iit@gmail.com
d)
hitendra.k.malik@gmail.com

Abstract. In this paper, we investigate the relativistic self-focusing of Laguerre-Gaussian beam in underdense collisionless
plasma. We employ the WKB approximation for uncovering the importance of dimensionless normalized plasma density
ȳ ൌ ߱௣଴ Τ߱, ߱௣଴ is plasma frequency and observe that the normalized density enhances the self-focusing. The effect of
normalized plasma density on the critical condition of non-diffracted propagation of beam is also investigated.

INTRODUCTION
Short laser pulses of high intensity of order ͳͲଵ଻ െ ͳͲଶ଴ ܹȀܿ݉ଶ allow various high energy related
experiments such as plasma-laser based accelerator [1], X-ray source [2], harmonic generation [3] and inertial
confinement fusion [4]. However, the defocusing of the laser pulse makes it unrealizable. Therefore, many researchers
have been continuously making efforts to traverse the method that sustenances the long propagation of the pulses in
the plasma. The self-focusing of laser pulse in plasma is one of the approaches to regulate the laser-plasma interaction.
As laser propagates through plasma, it modifies the index of refraction that leads to self-focusing. The self-focusing
in plasma occurs due to different kinds of nonlearities, namely ponderomotive, relativistic and thermal nonlinearities.
In relativistic regime, the electron mass is modified by Lorentz relativistic factor which eventually affects the dielectric
function. After 1962, when Askar’yan [5] discovered the self-focusing effect of light, phenomenon has gathered the
attention of researchers. Hora [6] studied phenomenal self-focusing of laser pulse in homogenous plasma. Hauser et
al. [7] investigated the self-focusing of an intense laser beam in collisionless plasma by using WKB approximation.
The self-focusing has been studied in other nonlinear media also such as liquid, nanoparticle cluster. Although, most
of the studies have been carried out for Gaussian profile of beam [8], few researcher explore non-Gaussian profile
also such as Hermite-Gaussian beam [9] and dark hollow beam [11].
In the existing case, the relativistic self-focusing of Laguerre-Gaussian ሺ‫ܮ‬௡௠ -Gaussian) beam in collisionless
plasma has been studied. Laguerre-Gaussian beam with ሺ݊ ൌ Ͳǡ ݉ ൌ ͳሻ has one peak at centre and two adjacent peak
of relatively lower amplitude as shown in Figure 1. Also, in this mode, the Laguerre-Gaussian beam does not possess
the orbital angular momentum and have plane wavefront. The considered intensity of laser ሺ൐ ͳͲଵ଼ ܹ Τܿ݉ିଶ ሻ is
sufficient to quiver the electrons with relativistic velocity. We study the phenomenon in underdense plasma by
adopting the WKB approximation. We started with electromagnetic wave equation in a nonlinear medium which lead
us to equation for the beam width parameter. The resultant equation has been solved under paraxial approximation.

International Conference on Photonics, Metamaterials & Plasmonics

AIP Conf. Proc. 2136, 060006-1–060006-4; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120952
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1879-0/$30.00

060006-1
 FIGURE 1. The transverse normalized intensity profile of ‫ܮ‬଴ଵ െGaussian laser beam.

EQUATIONS
We consider the propagation of a linearly polarized (say y-direction) Laguerre-Gaussian beam in a uniform plasma.
The electric vector of EM-wave is given by
‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ൌ ‫ܧ‬଴ ݁ ି௜ሺఠ௧ି௜௞బ௭ሻ ‫ݕ‬ො (1)
ೝమ
௥ మ ିቆ మቇ
Here ห‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ή ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ‫ כ‬ห ൌ ‫ܣ‬ଶ଴ ‫ܮ‬଴ଵ ሺ మሻ݁ ೝబ (2)
௥బ
The effective dielectric function of plasma can be expressed as
మ
ఠ೛బ
ߝ ൌͳെ  (3)
ఠమ ఊ
ଶ ସగ௘ మ ேబ
here ߱௣଴ ൌ is the plasma frequency together with ܰ଴ as the unperturbed electron density, ݉௘ as the rest mass
௠೐
ଵȀଶ
of the electron and ݁as the electronic charge, and ߛ ൌ ൫ͳ ൅ ߙ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ή ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ‫ כ‬൯ , where α is Lorentz relativistic factor given
௘మ
by ߙ ൌ and c is the speed of light.
௠೐మ ఠబమ ௖ మ
We can expand the ߝ function as following
ߝ ൌ ߝ଴ ൅ ߝଵ ሺ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ή ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ‫ כ‬ሻ (4)
here, ߝ଴ is the unperturbed dielectric function and ߝଵ represents the modified part of the dielectric function which has
dependence on the laser profile, which can be derived from equation (3).
In the stationary frame, the electric vector of EM-wave satisfies the wave equation
మ
‫׏‬ଶ ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ െ ‫׏‬ ሬԦ ή ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ൯ ൅ ఠమబ ߝ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ ൌ Ͳ
ሬԦ൫‫׏‬ (5)
௖
௖మ ଵ
For the transverse beam, the longitudinal component ሬ‫׏‬Ԧ ή ‫ܧ‬ሬԦ is zero, provided ቀ మቁ ȁ ቀ ቁ ‫׏‬ଶ ‫ߝ݊ܫ‬ȁ ‫[ ͳ ا‬12], thus one
ఠబ ఌ
can write the wave equation of electromagnetic beam, as
ఠమ
‫׏‬ଶ ‫ ܧ‬൅ మబ ߝ‫ ܧ‬ൌ Ͳ (6)
௖
To understand the complex behavior of wave amplitude, we follow the approach used by Liu and Tripathi [8] and
express ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ‫ܣ‬ሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ‡š’ሺ݅ሺ݇଴ ‫ ݖ‬െ ߱‫ݐ‬ሻሻ and substitute in equation (6). Further considering the WKB approximation we
get
డ஺ ఠబమ
ʹ݅݇଴ ൅ ‫׏‬ଶୄ ‫ ܣ‬൅
ሺߝ െ ߝ଴ ሻ‫ ܣ‬ൌ Ͳ (7)
డ௭ ௖మ
߱
here we used the relation ݇଴ ൌ Τܿ ඥߝ଴ . We can express the amplitude of wave as follow
‫ܣ‬ሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ ൌ ‫ܣ‬଴ ሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ ‡š’൫݅ܵሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ൯ (8)
Here ‫ܣ‬଴ ሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ and ܵሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ both are real functions. Substituting ‫ܣ‬ሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ from (8) in equation (7) and separating the real
and imaginary part, we get

060006-2
 ଵ ଶ ఠమ డௌ ଵ డௌ ଶ
‫ ܣ ׏‬൅ బమ ሺߝ െ ߝ଴ ሻ ൌ ൬ʹ ൅ ቀ ቁ ൰ (9a)
௞஺ ୄ ଴ ௞௖ డ௭ ௞ డ௥
ଵ డ஺మ ଵ ଵ డௌ డమ ௌ ଵ డ஺మబ డௌ
బ
൅ ቀ ൅ ቁ൅ ൌͲ (9b)
஺మబ డ௭ ௞ ௥ డ௥ డ௥ మ ௞஺మబ డ௥ డ௥
Following the approach given by Akhmanov et al. [12] and extended by Liu and Tripathi [8], we assume the following
solutions of equation (9a,b)
ೝమ
஺మబ ௥మ ିቆ మ మቇ
‫ܣ‬ଶ଴ ൌ ‫ܮ‬଴ ሺ ሻ݁ ೑ሾ೥ሿ ೝబ (10a)
௙ሾ௭ሿమ ଵ ௙ሾ௭ሿమ ௥ మ బ
ଵ
ܵሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ ൌ ݇‫ ݎ‬ଶ ߚሺ‫ݖ‬ሻ ൅ ߮ሺ‫ݖ‬ሻ (10b)
ଶ
where ሾߚሺ‫ݖ‬ሻሿିଵ
represents the radius of curvature of the wave front and ߮ሺ‫ݖ‬ሻ is the axial phase. ݂ሾ‫ݖ‬ሿ is dimensionless
beam-width parameter. Substituting ‫ܣ‬଴ and ܵሺ‫ݎ‬ǡ ‫ݖ‬ሻ from equation (10a,b) in equation (9a,b) and equating the various
coefficients of r we get
మ ିଷȀଶ
ଵ డమ ௙ ଼ ଷఘబమ Ȑ ௉బ ௉బ
ൌ െ ቀͳ ൅ ቁ (11)
௙ሺ఍ሻ డ఍ మ ௙ሺ఍ሻర ଶ ௙ሺ఍ሻమ
Here ߞ ൌ ‫ݖ‬Ȁܴௗ , ܴௗ ൌ ݇‫ݎ‬଴ଶ
is the Rayleigh length, ߩ଴ ൌ ሺ‫ݎ‬଴ ߱Τܿ ሻ is normalized equilibrium beam radius,Ȑ ൌ ߱௣଴ Τ߱
‫כ‬
and ܲ଴ ൌ ߙ‫ ܧ‬ή ‫ ܧ‬is the initial intensity parameter. Equation (11) is non-linear differential equation guiding the
behavior of ݂ሾߦ] in considered non-linearity. The first term on the right side of Eq. (11) is because of diffracting nature
of beam whereas second term is contributing to the self-focusing, which arises due to relativistic nonlinearity. The
beam is either gone to be focused or defocused depending upon their proportionate magnitudes. For an initial plane
డ௙
wavefront ݂ሾͲሿ ൌ Ͳ and ൌ Ͳ atߦ ൌ Ͳ, we solve Eq. (11) numerically and examine the behavior of ݂ሾߦሿ.
డక

RESULTS
డమ ௙ డమ ௙
If ൐ Ͳthe beam undergoes the divergence and if ൏ Ͳ, the beam will self-focused due to dominance of self-focusing
డ఍ మ డ఍ మ
డమ ௙
term. For ൌ Ͳ, the beam propagates with uniformly without neither diffraction nor self-focusing. The condition is known as
డ఍ మ
critical condition. Form equation (11), it can be represented by
ଵ଺ሺଵା௉బ ሻ
ߩ଴ଶ ൌ మ ஐమ ଷ௉బ
(12)
We plot equation (12) for different values of density ȳ in Figure 2. It is inferred from the graph that the normalized equilibrium
beam radius fall rapidly up to a certain value when ܲ଴ is increased; the value of beam radius remains almost constant for large
values of P0 for all the values of ȳ. Also, it can be observed that in plasma of normalized density ȳ ൌ ͲǤͲͶ, larger spot size beam
can relativistically propagate whereas in plasma of normalized density ȳ ൌ ͲǤͳ, spot-size must be comparable small for critical
condition.

FIG. 2.Plot of radius ߩ଴ as function of initial intensity parameter ܲ଴ for different values of ȳ

060006-3
We solved Eq. (11) numerically for laser pulse of intensity ͳͲଵ଼ ܹȀܿ݉ଶ , frequency ߱ ൌ ʹ ൈ ͳͲଵହ ‫ି ܿ݁ݏ݀ܽݎ‬ଵ and ‫ݎ‬଴ ൌ ͵Ͳߤ݉Ǥ
Figure 3 exhibits the variation of dimensional less beam width parameter with normalized distance of propagation for different
normalized plasma density. Initially there is oscillatory self-focusing up to 2 Rayleigh lengths and then the beam gets defocused.
The oscillatory nature of spot size is found to be enhanced with the normalized plasma density. The defocusing of laser pulse is
because of lower intensity and larger spot size of the laser beam. However, the role of normalized plasma density is clearly inferred
from the graph. The oscillatory behavior is significant for the case of higher plasma density.

FIG. 3. Variation of ݂ሾߞሿ with ߞ for different value of plasma density parameter ȳ ൌ ͲǤͲͶǡ ͲǤͲ͸ǡ ͲǤͲͺǡ ͲǤͳ.

REFERENCES
1. H.K. Malik, S. Kumar and Y. Nishida, Optics Communications 280, 417 (2007).
2. Engelman, Jeffrey A., Ji Luo, and Lewis C. Cantley Nature Reviews Genetics 7.8 606 (2007)
3. L. Devi and H.K. Malik, J. Theor. Appl. Phys. (2018).
4. R. Betti and O.A. Hurricane, Nat. Phys. 12, 717 (2016).
5. G.A. Askar’yan, JETP 15, 1088 (1962).
6. H. Hora, Z. Phys. 226, 156 (1969).
7. T. Häuser, W. Scheid, and H. Hora, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5, 2029 (1988).
8. C.S. Liu and V.K. Tripathi, Phys. Plasmas 1, 3100 (1994).
9. N. Kant, M.A. Wani, and A. Kumar, Opt. Commun. 285, 4483 (2012).
10. M.S. Sodha, S.K. Mishra, and S. Misra, Laser and Part. Beam 1, 27 (2008).
11. Self-Focusing of Laser Beam in Dielectric: Plasmas and Semiconductor by M. S. Sodha, A. K. Ghatak, V. K.
Tripathi Delhi: India: Tata-McGraw Hill
12. S.A. Akhmanov, A.P. Sukhorukov, R.V. Khokhlov, Sov. Phys. Usp. 10, 609 (1968).

060006-4