Nonlinear wake-field generation and relativistic focusing of intense laser pulses in plasmas

The generation of nonlinear plasma wake fields by an intense, short laser pulse and the relativistic optical guiding of intense laser pulses in plasmas are studied with a nonlinear, self-consistent model of laser--plasma interactions. Nonlinear steepening and period lengthening of the plasma waves are observed, and expressions are obtained for various nonlinear wake-field quantities. Relativistic focusing with the self-consistent plasma response shows that laser pulse fronts and laser pulses shorter than a plasma wavelength, 2πc/ωp, are not relativistically guided and will continuously erode due to diffraction