Externally refuelled optical filaments

    Authors

    M. Scheller; M. S. Mills; M. A. Miri; W. B. Cheng; J. V. Moloney; M. Kolesik; P. Polynkin;D. N. Christodoulides

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Nat. Photonics

    Keywords

    EXTENDED PLASMA CHANNELS; FEMTOSECOND LASER-PULSE; MOLECULAR ALIGNMENT; AIR; LIGHT; GENERATION; AXICON; COMPRESSION; ENERGY; GASES; Optics; Physics, Applied

    Abstract

    Plasma channels produced in air through femtosecond laser filamentation(1-4) hold great promise for a number of applications, including remote sensing(5), attosecond physics(6,7) and spectroscopy(8), channelling microwaves(9-12) and lightning protection(13). In such settings, extended filaments are desirable, yet their longitudinal span is limited by dissipative processes. Although various techniques aiming to prolong this process have been explored, the substantial extension of optical filaments remains a challenge(14-21). Here, we experimentally demonstrate that the natural range of a plasma column can be enhanced by at least an order of magnitude when the filament is prudently accompanied by an auxiliary beam. In this arrangement, the secondary low-intensity `dressing' beam propagates linearly and acts as a distributed energy reservoir(22) , continuously refuelling the optical filament. Our approach offers an efficient and viable route towards the generation of extended light strings in air without inducing premature wave collapse or an undesirable beam break-up into multiple filaments(2).

    Journal Title

    Nature Photonics

    Volume

    8

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    297

    Last Page

    301

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000333800000010

    ISSN

    1749-4885

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