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High-Energy-Density Plasma Nanorod by Collisionless Absorption of Ultrafast Laser Pulse Inside Dielectrics

Kazem Ardaneh1,2, Remi Meyer1, Mostafa Hassan1, Remo Giust1, Chen Xie3, Benoit Morel1, Ismail Ouadghiri-Idrissi1, Luca Furfaro1, Luc Froehly1 et al.

Arnaud Couairon4, Guy Bonnaud5, and Francois Courvoisier1

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 115101 – Published 10 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/k23j-c9y7

Abstract

The generation of energetic and dense plasmas by femtosecond laser pulses within the bulk of solids can pave the way to study warm dense matter, shocks, extreme UV radiation, or the synthesis of new material phases. However, this has remained elusive because of the intrinsic dynamical effects of defocusing by the laser-generated plasma. Here, we demonstrate the generation of overcritical plasma densities inside transparent solids over long distances. We identify with experiments in bulk sapphire and first-principles simulations that femtosecond conical interference via a Bessel beam creates a dense plasma rod of typically less than 400 nm diameter. We show that collisionless resonance absorption plays a primary role in the energy deposition process, yielding a plasma with an energy density on the order of MJ/cm3, whose length can reach several cm using only tabletop femtosecond lasers. This opens new avenues for developing high-energy-density physics within solids.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 115101– Published 10 September, 2026
  • Received 6 November 2024
  • Accepted 8 July 2026
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