Channeling of multikilojoule high-intensity laser beams in an inhomogeneous plasma.

Channeling experiments were performed that demonstrate the transport of high-intensity (>10(18)W/cm(2)), multikilojoule laser light through a millimeter-sized, inhomogeneous (∼300-μm density scale length) laser-produced plasma up to overcritical density, which is an important step forward for the fast-ignition concept. The background plasma density and the density depression inside the channel were characterized with a novel optical probe system. The channel progression velocity was measured, which agrees well with theoretical predictions based on large scale particle-in-cell simulations, confirming scaling laws for the required channeling laser energy and laser pulse duration, which are important parameters for future integrated fast-ignition channeling experiments.