Higher-Order Kerr Terms Allow Ionization-Free Filamentation in Gases

被引:228
作者
Bejot, P. [1 ,2 ]
Kasparian, J. [1 ]
Henin, S. [1 ]
Loriot, V. [2 ]
Vieillard, T. [2 ]
Hertz, E. [2 ]
Faucher, O. [2 ]
Lavorel, B. [2 ]
Wolf, J. -P. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Geneva, GAP Biophoton, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
[2] Univ Bourgogne, Lab ICB, UMR 5209, CNRS, F-21078 Dijon, France
关键词
FEMTOSECOND LASER-PULSES; TRANSPARENT MEDIA; AIR; LIGHT; PROPAGATION; COMPRESSION; INTENSITY; PHYSICS;
D O I
10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.103903
中图分类号
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号
0702 ;
摘要
We show that higher-order nonlinear indices (n(4), n(6), n(8), n(10)) provide the main defocusing contribution to self-channeling of ultrashort laser pulses in air and argon at 800 nm, in contrast with the previously accepted mechanism of filamentation where plasma was considered as the dominant defocusing process. Their consideration allows us to reproduce experimentally observed intensities and plasma densities in self-guided filaments.
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页数:4
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