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Self-transformation of a powerful femtosecond laser pulse into a white-light laser pulse in bulk optical media (or supercontinuum generation)

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Abstract

We present experimental and theoretical results on white-light generation in the filamentation of a high-power femtosecond laser pulse in water and atmospheric air. We have shown that the high spatio-temporal localization of the light field in the filament, which enables the supercontinuum generation, is sustained due to the dynamic transformation of the light field on the whole transverse scale of the beam, including its edges. We found that the sources of the supercontinuum blue wing are in the rings, surrounding the filament, as well as at the back of the pulse, where shock-wave formation enhanced by self-steepening takes place. We report on the first observation and demonstration of the interference of the supercontinuum spectral components arising in the course of multiple filamentation in a terawatt laser pulse. We demonstrate that the conversion efficiency of an initially narrow laser pulse spectrum into the supercontinuum depends on the length of the filament with high intensity gradients and can be increased by introducing an initial chirp.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Laser Center, Physics Department, Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia

    V.P. Kandidov, O.G. Kosareva & I.S. Golubtsov

  2. Departement de Physique, de Genie Physique et d’Optique and Centre d’Optique, Photonique et Laser, Universite Laval, G1K 7P4, Quebec, Canada

    W. Liu & S.L. Chin

  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187, Dresden, Germany

    A. Becker

  4. Time Domain Corporation, 7057 Old Madison Pike, 35 806, Huntsville, AL, USA

    N. Akozbek

  5. US Army Aviation and Missile Command, AMSAM-WS-RD-ST, 35 898-5000, Huntsville, AL, USA

    C.M. Bowden

Authors
  1. V.P. Kandidov
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  2. O.G. Kosareva
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  3. I.S. Golubtsov
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  4. W. Liu
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  5. A. Becker
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  6. N. Akozbek
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  7. C.M. Bowden
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  8. S.L. Chin
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Correspondence to O.G. Kosareva.

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PACS

42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.25.Bs; 42.50.Hz

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Kandidov, V., Kosareva, O., Golubtsov, I. et al. Self-transformation of a powerful femtosecond laser pulse into a white-light laser pulse in bulk optical media (or supercontinuum generation). Appl Phys B 77, 149–165 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-003-1214-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-003-1214-7

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