A gas waveguide for long-distance high-intensity laser pulse propagation.

This paper reports on a new approach to generate a gas channel based on the collision of gas flows emerging from an independent multi-jet slit nozzle assembly. Interferometry measurements supported by numerical simulations indicate a density profile that enables guiding an intense laser pulse over several Rayleigh lengths. The proposed approach not only solves problems faced when using a capillary discharge but also avoids the need for an additional laser beam to create a plasma channel.