Laboratory simulation of laser propagation through plasma sheaths containing ablation particles of ZrB₂-SiC-C during hypersonic flight.

The optical communication method has potential for solving the blackout problem, which is a big challenge faced in the development of aerospace. Two laser transmission systems were set up to explore the influence of the plasma and the ablation particles on the propagation of the laser. The experimental results indicate that the laser can transmit through the plasma with little attenuation. When there are ablation particles of ZrB₂-SiC-C added in the plasma, the intensity of the laser has fluctuations. The work introduced in this Letter can be regarded as basic research of the propagation characters of the laser through plasma sheaths.