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Kerr nonlinearity effect on femtosecond pulse radiation filamentation in air

Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics volume 30, pages 331–336 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

The conditions for filamentation of femtosecond pulse laser radiation when focusing in air are studied experimentally and theoretically. A good agreement between experimental and calculated results is shown if neglecting the filament plasma. It is shown that the Kerr nonlinearity plays a fundamental role in the generation, existence, and cessation of a filament at a small numerical aperture (NA ≤ 2.15 × 10–3). The Kerr effect first leads to the beam self-focusing and generation of a filament, and at the final stage, to radiation defocusing and a sharp decrease in its axial intensity due to the beam wavefront distortions. In the case of aberration focusing, a spatial quasi-soliton is formed after a visible filament due to the balance between Kerr self-focusing and diffraction spreading. The quasi-soliton is a source of the directional white supercontinuum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634055, Russia

    N. G. Ivanov & V. F. Losev

  2. Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, 634034, Russia

    V. F. Losev

Authors
  1. N. G. Ivanov
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  2. V. F. Losev
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Correspondence to N. G. Ivanov.

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Original Russian Text © N.G. Ivanov, V.F. Losev, 2017, published in Optika Atmosfery i Okeana.

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Ivanov, N.G., Losev, V.F. Kerr nonlinearity effect on femtosecond pulse radiation filamentation in air. Atmos Ocean Opt 30, 331–336 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856017040066

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856017040066

Keywords

  • Kerr nonlinearity
  • filamentation
  • focusing
  • supercontinuum