2D-3D multiscale modelling of inhomogeneous plasma amplifiers

Optical field ionized (OFI) plasma amplifiers have recently demonstrated sub-picosecond pulses when seeded with high order harmonics. In addition to this, the intensity and phase profile of the amplified harmonic beams carry information about possible plasma inhomogeneities (electron density, lasing ion abundance) that may appear in the amplifier. 1D and 3D modelling has played a fundamental role in these results and it will be required to support present and future experiments. This modelling involves different physical processes and time-scales, from the nanoseconds (hydrodynamics) to the picoseconds (atomic physics) and femtoseconds (dynamics of the amplified beam). Here we briefly present the different codes that have been coupled to fully model this process, from the creation of the plasma to the amplification of XUV and soft X-rays and show how this framework can be applied to study the impact of plasma inhomogeneities in the intensity and phase profile of the amplified beam.