Abstract
We report long-range self-channeling in air of multiterawatt femtosecond laser pulses with large negative initial chirps. The peak intensity in the light channels is at least one order of magnitude lower than required for multiphoton ionization of air molecules. A detailed comparison is made between experiments and realistic 3+1-dimensional numerical simulations. It reveals that the mechanism limiting the growth of intensity by filamentation is connected with broken revolution symmetry in the transverse diffraction plane.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
P. Rairoux, H. Schillinger, S. Neirdeimer, M. Rodriguez, F. Ronneberger, R. Sauerbrey, B. Stein, D. Waite, C. Wedekind, H. Wille, L. Wöste, C. Ziener: Appl. Phys. B 71, 573 (2000)
L. Wöste, C. Wedekind, H. Wille, P. Rairoux, B. Stein, S. Nikolov, C. Werner, S. Neirdeimer, F. Ronneberger, H. Schilinger, R. Sauerbrey: Laser Optoelectron. 29, 51 (1997)
J. Kasparian, M. Rodriguez, G. Méjean, J. Yu, E. Salmon, H. Wille, R. Bourayou, S. Frey, Y.-B. André, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J.-P. Wolf , L. Wöste: Science 301, 61 (2003)
F. Vidal, D. Comtois, C.-Y. Chien, A. Desparois, B. La Fontaine, T.W. Johnston, J.-C. Kieffer, H.P. Mercure, F.A. Rizk: IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 28, 418 (2000)
X.M. Zhao, J.-C. Diels, C.Y. Wang, J.M. Elizondo: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 31, 599 (1995)
Y. Silberberg: Opt. Lett. 15, 1282 (1990)
E.T.J. Nibbering, P.F. Curley, G. Grillon, B.S. Prade, M.A. Franco, F. Salin, A. Mysyrowicz: Opt. Lett. 21, 62 (1996)
O.G. Kosareva, V.P. Kandidov, A. Brodeur, C.Y. Chien, S.L. Chin: Opt. Lett. 22, 1332 (1997)
N. Aközbek, M. Scalora, C.M. Bowden, S.L. Chin: Opt. Commun. 191, 353 (2001)
S. Tzortzakis, G. Méchain, G. Palatano, Y.-B. André, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz: Opt. Lett. 27, 1944 (2002)
C.-C. Cheng, E.M. Wright, J.V. Moloney: Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 213001 (2001)
V.S. Letokhov: in Proc. XXII Solvay Conf. Physics (World Scientific 2001)
H.R. Lange, A. Chiron, J.-F. Ripoche, A. Mysyrowicz, P. Breger, P. Agostini: Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1611 (1998)
A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, G. Mourou: Opt. Lett. 20, 73 (1995)
A. Couairon, S. Tzortzakis, L. Bergé, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19, 1117 (2002)
M. Mlejnek, M. Kolesik, J.V. Moloney, E.M. Wright: Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 2938 (1999)
A. Iwasaki, N. Aközbek, B. Ferland, Q. Luo, G. Roy, C.M. Bowden, S.L. Chin: Appl. Phys. B 76, 231 (2003)
B. La Fontaine, F. Vidal, Z. Jiang, C.Y. Chien, D. Comtois, A. Desparois, T.W. Johnston, J.-C. Kieffer, H. Pépin: Phys. Plasmas 6, 1615 (1999)
S.L. Chin, A. Talebpour, J. Yang, S. Petit, V.P. Kandidov, O.G. Kosareva, M.P. Tamarov: Appl. Phys. B 74, 67 (2002); V.P. Kandidov, O.G. Kosareva, M.P. Tamarov, A. Brodeur, S.L. Chin: Quantum Electron. 29, 911 (1999)
Millimeter-sized filaments at a distance of 200 m have been reported by several groups [18, 19]
H. Wille, M. Rodriguez, J. Kasparian, D. Mondelain, J. Yu, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J.-P. Wolf, L. Wöste: Eur. Phys. J.: Appl. Phys. 20, 183 (2002)
S. Tzortzakis, B. Lamouroux, A. Chiron, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz, S.D. Moustaizis: Phys. Rev. E 60, R3505 (1999)
H.D. Ladouceur, A.P. Baronavski, D. Lohrmann, P.W. Grounds, P.G. Girardi: Opt. Commun. 189, 107 (2001)
H. Schillinger, R. Sauerbrey: Appl. Phys. B 68, 753 (1999)
A. Talebpour, S. Petit, S.L. Chin: Opt. Commun. 171, 285 (1999)
P. Sprangle, J.R. Peñano, B. Hafizi: Phys. Rev. E 66, 046418 (2002)
T. Brabec, F. Krausz: Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3282 (1997)
A. Couairon, G. Méchain, S. Tzortzakis, M. Franco, B. Lamouroux, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz: Opt. Commun. 225, 177 (2003)
L.V. Keldysh: ZhETF 47, 1945 (1964); Sov. Phys. JETP 20, 1307 (1965)
K. Mishima, M. Hayashi, J. Yi, S.H. Lin, H.L. Selzle, E.W. Schlag: Phys. Rev. A 66, 033401 (2002)
V.I. Bespalov, V.I. Talanov: JETP Lett. 3, 307 (1966)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
42.65.Sf; 42.25.Bs; 42.65.Jx; 52.38.Hb
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Méchain, G., Couairon, A., André, YB. et al. Long-range self-channeling of infrared laser pulses in air: a new propagation regime without ionization. Appl. Phys. B 79, 379–382 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-004-1557-8
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-004-1557-8