Formation and evolution of intense, post-filamentation, ionization-free low divergence beams

The mechanisms related to the formation and propagation of post-filamentation intense light channels were rigorously investigated experimentally and numerically. It was found that they originate from a hot spot formed by diffraction of the pulse energy reservoir onto the plasma. Once the hot spot wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics communications 2011-07, Vol.284 (14), p.3601-3606
Main Authors: Daigle, J.-F., Kosareva, O., Panov, N., Wang, T.-J., Hosseini, S., Yuan, S., Roy, G., Chin, S.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air
Beams (radiation)
Channels
Diffraction
Energy of formation
Evolution
Filamentation
Hot spots
Measuring instruments
Reservoirs
Self-focusing
Short pulses
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Summary:The mechanisms related to the formation and propagation of post-filamentation intense light channels were rigorously investigated experimentally and numerically. It was found that they originate from a hot spot formed by diffraction of the pulse energy reservoir onto the plasma. Once the hot spot was formed, a channel with intensity estimated at 0.5 TW/cm 2 could maintain its diameter over several tens of meters such that air was not ionized, but the self-focusing produced was sufficiently high to balance linear diffraction. This propagation regime is of high interest to propagate high intensity laser pulses with limited losses. ► The propagation of femtosecond pulses after filamentation in air was investigated experimentally and numerically over 50 m. ► A low divergence intense light channel, without ionization, was observed over the entire propagation path. ► This propagation regime is of high interest to propagate high intensity pulses with limited losses.
ISSN:0030-4018
1873-0310
DOI:10.1016/j.optcom.2011.03.077