6533b82efe1ef96bd1294387

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases

Pierre BéjotJ. KasparianS. HeninV. LoriotT. VieillardE. HertzO. FaucherB. LavorelJ. -P Wolf

subject

[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-ATOM-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atomic Physics [physics.atom-ph]Molecular alignmentPhysics::Plasma PhysicsFemtosecond phenomenaPlasmasSelf-focusing[ PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-ATOM-PH ] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atomic Physics [physics.atom-ph]Physics::Optics42.65.Jx 37.10.Vz 42.65.Tg 78.20.CiUltrafast nonlinear optics[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-ATOM-PH] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atomic Physics [physics.atom-ph]Optical Kerr effectLaser filamentation

description

International audience; We show that higher-order nonlinear indices (n4 , n6 , n8 , n10) 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 to reproduce experimentally observed intensities and plasma densities in self-guided filaments.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00464524