Programmably structured plasma waveguide for development of table-top photon and particle sources

Programmable fabrication of longitudinal spatial structures in an optically preformed plasma waveguide in a gas jet was achieved, by using laser machining with a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator as the pattern mask. Fabrication of periodic structures with a minimal period of 200 μm and density-ramp structures with a minimal slope length of 100 μm was attained. The technique is useful for the optimization of various laser-plasma-based photon and particle sources.