Vol. 31, issue 07, article # 3

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.

Keywords:

femtosecond laser pulses, self-focusing, filamentation, diffraction ray, diffraction-beam tube

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