title: Periodic index-modulated plasma waveguide.
abstract: We demonstrate a wire-obstructed cluster flow technique for making periodically modulated plasma waveguides in hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon with sharp, stable voids as short as 50 microm with a period as small as 200 microm. These gaps persist as the plasma expands for the full lifetime of the waveguide. We demonstrate guided propagation at intensities up to 2 x 10(17) W/cm(2), limited by our laser energy currently available. This technique is useful for quasi-phase matching applications where index-modulated guides are superior to diameter modulated guides.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. layerbd@gmail.com
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Layer
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Milchberg