Asymptotic pulse shapes in filamentary propagation of intense femtosecond pulses

authored by: C. Brée, A. Demircan, G. Steinmeyer
Abstract: Self-compression of intense ultrashort laser pulses inside a self-guided filament is discussed. The filament self-guiding mechanism requires a balance between diffraction, plasma self-defocusing and Kerr-type self-focusing, which gives rise to asymptotic intensity profiles on axis of the filament. The asymptotic solutions appear as the dominant pulse shaping mechanism in the leading part of the pulse, causing a pinch of the photon density close to zero delay, which substantiates as pulse compression. The simple analytical model is backed up by numerical simulations, confirming the prevalence of spatial coupling mechanisms and explaining the emerging inhomogeneous spatial structure. Numerical simulations confirm that only spatial effects alone may already give rise to filament formation. Consequently, self-compression is explained by a dynamic balance between two optical nonlinearities, giving rise to soliton-like pulse formation inside the filament.
External Organisation(s): Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik (WIAS) Leibniz-Institute in Forschungsverbund Berlin e. V.
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy im Forschungsbund Berlin e.V. (MBI)
Type: Article
Journal: Laser physics
Volume: 19
Pages: 330-335
No. of pages: 6
ISSN: 1054-660X
Publication date: 02.2009
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Instrumentation, Condensed Matter Physics, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1134/S1054660X09020261 (Access: Unknown)

BibTeX

@article{15bb4fc6a7134e8b8a1d0f10b4833500,
title = "Asymptotic pulse shapes in filamentary propagation of intense femtosecond pulses",
abstract = "Self-compression of intense ultrashort laser pulses inside a self-guided filament is discussed. The filament self-guiding mechanism requires a balance between diffraction, plasma self-defocusing and Kerr-type self-focusing, which gives rise to asymptotic intensity profiles on axis of the filament. The asymptotic solutions appear as the dominant pulse shaping mechanism in the leading part of the pulse, causing a pinch of the photon density close to zero delay, which substantiates as pulse compression. The simple analytical model is backed up by numerical simulations, confirming the prevalence of spatial coupling mechanisms and explaining the emerging inhomogeneous spatial structure. Numerical simulations confirm that only spatial effects alone may already give rise to filament formation. Consequently, self-compression is explained by a dynamic balance between two optical nonlinearities, giving rise to soliton-like pulse formation inside the filament.",
author = "C. Br{\'e}e and A. Demircan and G. Steinmeyer",
year = "2009",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1134/S1054660X09020261",
language = "English",
volume = "19",
pages = "330--335",
journal = "Laser physics",
issn = "1054-660X",
publisher = "Institute of Physics Publishing",
number = "2",
}