I've read about the concept of a laser induced plasma channel where air can be ionized to form a plasma using laser light. Can this be done or is it hypothetically possible to ionize air with microwave radiation? I know that microwaves don't have enough energy in electron volts to cause air to become ionized but what if the microwaves are generated with a high voltage? Can these microwaves have enough energy to cause ionization?
[Physics] Can air be ionized using microwaves
ionization-energymicrowavesplasma-physics
Best Answer
Yes, you can achieve air discharge in the atmosphere using high power microwave radiation. The mechanism is avalanche ionization (https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a172227.pdf)