title: Cross-focusing of two laser beams in a plasma.
abstract: Cross-focusing of two copropagating laser beams in a plasma is investigated using paraxial ray theory. If the lasers have a frequency difference equal to the electron plasma frequency, they can drive a large amplitude plasma wave. The ponderomotive force due to the plasma wave forces the plasma electrons outwards thereby generating a parabolic density profile giving rise to cross-focusing. The results show a decrease in threshold for focusing by two orders of magnitude as compared to focusing due to the ponderomotive force of the laser beams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Durban-Westville, Private Bag X 54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bharuthram
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parashar