Description
The flying focus refers to a family of techniques for creating laser pulses with dynamic focal points. The peak intensity of a flying-focus pulse can move independently of the group velocity—along, against, or transverse to the propagation direction—while maintaining a near-invariant profile over distances far exceeding a Rayleigh range. These features enable and enhance laser-plasma applications that benefit from a tunable velocity or an extended interaction length. This talk will summarize the concepts underlying flying-focus pulses, the conventional and plasma optics-based configurations used for their formation, and recent theoretical and experimental advances in their application to laser–plasma interactions. Applications to be discussed include laser wakefield acceleration, nonlinear Thomson scattering, free-electron lasing, direct laser acceleration, THz generation, and tests of vacuum polarization and radiation reaction.
This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] under Award Number DE-NA0004144, the Office of Science under Award Numbers DE-SC0021057 and DE-SC0025497/SUB0000841, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-24-1-0160.