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Optical guiding of intense laser pulses over a distance of more than 20 Rayleigh lengths in a plasma is demonstrated using a two-pulse technique. The first pulse prepares a shock-driven, axially extended radial electron density profile which guides a second pulse, injected after an optimum delay which increases with mass of the plasma ions. In the intensity range considered here (10^3--10^14 W/cm^2), the channel is observed to support mode structure reminiscent of an optical waveguide.
Durfee et al. (Mon,) studied this question.