Guiding of terawatt laser pulses in a plasma waveguide produced in an elongated pulsed gas jet

Summary form only given. We have recently demonstrated a high repetition rate gas jet, designed to eliminate the problem of refraction in the injection of high intensity laser pulses into plasma waveguides. A sequence of measured electron density from a 1.5 cm long argon jet waveguide is shown. We show electron density profiles as a function of axial distance at the end of the waveguide. Guiding experiments were per formed with a high power femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser system.