Picosecond laser filamentation in air
The propagation of intense picosecond laser pulses in air in the presence of strong nonlinear self-action effects and air ionization is investigated experimentally and numerically. The model used for numerical analysis is based on the nonlinear propagator for the optical field coupled to the rate eq...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2016-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/18/9/093005 |
| _version_ | 1797750941327294464 |
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| author | Andreas Schmitt-Sody Heiko G Kurz Luc Bergé Stefan Skupin Pavel Polynkin |
| author_facet | Andreas Schmitt-Sody Heiko G Kurz Luc Bergé Stefan Skupin Pavel Polynkin |
| author_sort | Andreas Schmitt-Sody |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The propagation of intense picosecond laser pulses in air in the presence of strong nonlinear self-action effects and air ionization is investigated experimentally and numerically. The model used for numerical analysis is based on the nonlinear propagator for the optical field coupled to the rate equations for the production of various ionic species and plasma temperature. Our results show that the phenomenon of plasma-driven intensity clamping, which has been paramount in femtosecond laser filamentation, holds for picosecond pulses. Furthermore, the temporal pulse distortions in the picosecond regime are limited and the pulse fluence is also clamped. In focused propagation geometry, a unique feature of picosecond filamentation is the production of a broad, fully ionized air channel, continuous both longitudinally and transversely, which may be instrumental for many applications including laser-guided electrical breakdown of air, channeling microwave beams and air lasing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:40:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-04ed0c0649434558acbb1f8d103a23cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:40:06Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-04ed0c0649434558acbb1f8d103a23cb2023-08-08T14:31:51ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302016-01-0118909300510.1088/1367-2630/18/9/093005Picosecond laser filamentation in airAndreas Schmitt-Sody0Heiko G Kurz1Luc Bergé2Stefan Skupin3Pavel Polynkin4Air Force Research Labs, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USAInstitute of Quantum Optics, Leibniz University Hannover , Welfengarten 1, D-30167 Hannover, GermanyCEA-DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, FranceUniv. Bordeaux—CNRS—CEA , Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, FranceCollege of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona, USAThe propagation of intense picosecond laser pulses in air in the presence of strong nonlinear self-action effects and air ionization is investigated experimentally and numerically. The model used for numerical analysis is based on the nonlinear propagator for the optical field coupled to the rate equations for the production of various ionic species and plasma temperature. Our results show that the phenomenon of plasma-driven intensity clamping, which has been paramount in femtosecond laser filamentation, holds for picosecond pulses. Furthermore, the temporal pulse distortions in the picosecond regime are limited and the pulse fluence is also clamped. In focused propagation geometry, a unique feature of picosecond filamentation is the production of a broad, fully ionized air channel, continuous both longitudinally and transversely, which may be instrumental for many applications including laser-guided electrical breakdown of air, channeling microwave beams and air lasing.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/18/9/093005laser filamentationpicosecond laser pulsesnonlinear propagationoptical ionization |
| spellingShingle | Andreas Schmitt-Sody Heiko G Kurz Luc Bergé Stefan Skupin Pavel Polynkin Picosecond laser filamentation in air New Journal of Physics laser filamentation picosecond laser pulses nonlinear propagation optical ionization |
| title | Picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| title_full | Picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| title_fullStr | Picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| title_full_unstemmed | Picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| title_short | Picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| title_sort | picosecond laser filamentation in air |
| topic | laser filamentation picosecond laser pulses nonlinear propagation optical ionization |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/18/9/093005 |
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