Diffraction-beam optics of filamentation. II. Diffractionbeam pattern of filamentation of a laser pulse
Yu.E. Geints, A.A. Zemlyanov, O.V. Minina
V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 1, Academician Zuev square, Tomsk, 634021, Russia
Keywords: фемтосекундные лазерные импульсы, самофокусировка, филаментация, дифракционный луч, дифракционно-лучевая трубка, femtosecond laser pulses, self-focusing, filamentation, diffraction ray, diffraction-beam tube
Subsection: NONLINEAR OPTICS
Abstract
Based on the diffraction-ray representation of the nonlinear propagation of laser pulses the examples of the visualization of filamentation of high-power femtosecond laser pulses in air are considered by constructing evolutionary paths of diffraction beams and light tubes. It is ascertained that a filament is supported by the light energy of only the part of the beam that is in the beam tube with an initial peak power exceeding the critical power of self-focusing. This light tube is the energy reservoir of the filament. The peripheral part of the light beam holds this diffraction-beam tube containing the filament by forming a “diffractive” waveguide.
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