Simulations of the propagation of high-intensity laser pulses in discharge-ablated capillary waveguides

Summary form only given. The interaction of high-intensity lasers with plasmas is important for harmonic generation, wake-field electron accelerators, and X-ray lasers. Limitations on the interaction length can be overcome by using guiding techniques which can maintain high axial intensities over greater distances. We present the results of numerical simulations of the propagation of high-intensity pulses through discharge-ablated capillary waveguides. The numerical code solves the paraxial wave equation for a plasma undergoing optical field ionisation, and so accounts for refractive defocusing due to further ionisation by the propagating pulse. The input electron density profiles are those measured by longitudinal interferometry for our device.