Electrical discharge channel in cesium vapor initiated by a XeCl laser

Plasma channels for transporting intense ion beams were initiated by a 308-nm XeCl laser. The laser beam caused one-photon ionization of the cesium atoms which were seeded in a buffer Ar gas. Utilizing this mechanism, plasma channels were easily initiated up to 70 cm in length. The electron density and temperature of the plasma produced by the laser beam were also measured.