Filamentation of ultrashort light pulses in a liquid scattering medium

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2009, Vol.94 (1), p.175-179
• Main Authors: Jukna, V., Tamošauskas, G., Valiulis, G., Aputis, M., Puida, M., Ivanauskas, F., Dubietis, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beam trapping, self-focusing and defocusing; self-phase modulation; Beams (radiation); Diffraction; Diffraction and scattering; Dynamic tests; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Imaging and optical processing; Lasers; Light scattering; Liquids; Nonlinear dynamics; Nonlinear optics; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Optics; Scattering; Speckle and moire patterns; Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression; Wave optics
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-008-3255-4

We have studied filamentation of 1-ps laser pulses in a scattering medium (aqueous suspension of 2-μm polystyrene microspheres) and compared filamentation dynamics to that in pure water. Our results indicate that light scattering does not alter filamentation dynamics in general, but rather results in farther position of the nonlinear focus, shorter filament length, and the development of speckle structure in the peripheral part of the beam. The experimental observations are qualitatively reproduced by the numerical model which accounts for diffraction, self-focusing, multiphoton absorption, and light scattering introduced through a stochastic diffusion and diffraction term.