Analytical calculation of relativistic self-focusing length in the WKB approximation

Abstract

Extremely intense laser beams penetrating into a plasma are focused because of the dependence of the index of refraction on the relativistic electron mass. Under the assumptions of a collision-free plasma and circularly polarized laser radiation, we calculate the focus length by using the WKB approximation. The resulting analytical formulas are applied to the case of a neodymium:glass laser.

© 1988 Optical Society of America

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