Compressing and Focusing a Short Laser Pulse by a Thin Plasma Lens

We consider the possibility of using a thin plasma slab as an optical element to both focus and compress an intense laser pulse. By thin we mean that the focal length is larger than the lens thickness. We derive analytic formulas for the spot size and pulse length evolution of a short laser pulse propagating through a thin uniform plasma lens. The formulas are compared to simulation results from two types of Particle-in-Cell codes. The simulations give a greater final spot size and a shorter focal length than the analytic formulas. The difference arises from spherical aberrations in the lens which leads to the generation of higher order vacuum Gaussian modes. The simulations also show that Raman side scattering can develop. A thin lens experiment could provide the first unequivocal evidence of relativistic self-focusing.