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Femtosecond Laser Filaments for Use in Sub-Diffraction-Limited Imaging and Remote Sensing
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Transition from plasma-driven to Kerr-driven laser filamentation
P Béjot1, E Hertz, J Kasparian
1Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 5209 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, BP 47870, Dijon, France. pierre.bejot@unige.ch
Physical Review Letters
|July 21, 2011
Summary
The higher-order Kerr effect (HOKE) can drive filamentation in optical experiments. This study shows HOKE dominates over plasma effects for short laser pulses, revealing distinct filamentation regimes.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear Optics
- Ultrafast Laser Physics
Background:
- Filamentation is typically explained by a balance between Kerr focusing and plasma defocusing.
- The contribution of the higher-order Kerr effect (HOKE) to filament stabilization is debated.
- Understanding these regimes is crucial for applications involving intense laser-matter interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of HOKE in filament stabilization.
- To differentiate between plasma-driven and HOKE-driven filamentation regimes.
- To demonstrate the transition between these regimes using different pulse durations.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing an 800 nm pump-probe experimental setup.
- Performing numerical simulations to support experimental observations.
- Comparing filamentation dynamics for long (1.2 ps) and short (70 fs) laser pulses.
Main Results:
- Observed two distinct filamentation regimes at 800 nm.
- Demonstrated that plasma significantly contributes to filamentation for long pulses.
- Showed that plasma's contribution vanishes for short pulses, indicating HOKE dominance.
Conclusions:
- Confirmed that filamentation can be driven by HOKE under specific conditions.
- Established that the dominant mechanism shifts from plasma to HOKE with decreasing pulse duration.
- Provided experimental evidence for HOKE-driven filamentation, challenging traditional models.
