Magnetized plasma implosion in a snail target driven by a moderate-intensity laser pulse.

Optical generation of compact magnetized plasma structures is studied in the moderate intensity domain. A sub-ns laser beam irradiated snail-shaped targets with the intensity of about 10 W/cm. With a neat optical diagnostics, a sub-megagauss magnetized plasmoid is traced inside the target.

Synchronizing single-shot high-energy iodine photodissociation laser PALS and high-repetition-rate femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser system.

A system of precise pulse synchronization between a single-shot large-scale laser exploiting an acousto-optical modulator and a femtosecond high repetition rate laser is reported in this article. This opto-electronical system has been developed for synchronization of the sub-nanosecond kJ-class iodine photodissociation laser system (Prague Asterix Laser System-PALS) with the femtosecond 25-TW Ti:sapphire (Ti:Sa) laser operating at a repetition rate 1 kHz or 10 Hz depending on the required energy level of output pulses. At 1 kHz synchronization regime, a single femtosecond pulse of duration about 45 fs and a small energy less than 1 mJ are exploited as a probe beam for irradiation of a three-frame interferometer, while at 10 Hz repetition rate a single femtosecond pulse with higher energy about 7-10 mJ is exploited as a probe beam for irradiation of a two-channel polaro-interferometer.

Optically adjustable light filaments generated by a compact laser convertor.

In the paper, the geometrical parameters and energetics of the extremely narrow pseudo-nondiffracting beams with the spot size of several micrometers are examined. The main attention is focused on design, realization and testing of the set-up enabling conversion of the laser diode beam or the fiber mode to the narrow Bessel-Gauss beam whose spot can be continuously relocated across the plane perpendicular to the beam propagation direction. Application of the laser convertor to the optical manipulation is demonstrated on experiments enabling transport of microparticles along a desired trajectory.