Polarization-gated filament-induced remote breakdown spectroscopy

We demonstrate a simple technique to filter out the continuum background in filament-induced remote breakdown spectroscopy. By inserting a polarizer before the detector, the continuum background was reduced by more than 42% in filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy at a distance of 3.8 m, while the fluorescence intensity of aluminum atomic lines remains constant. Supercontinuum through self-phase modulation during filamentation mainly contributes to the continuum background. The polarization-gated technique provides a simple way to remove the continuum background in filament-induced remote breakdown spectroscopy.     

Sub-picosecond chirped laser pulse-induced airflow and water condensation in a cloud chamber

Sub-picosecond chirped laser pulse-induced airflow and water condensation were investigated in a cloud chamber.The results indicate that the positively chirped sub-picosecond laser pulses generate a more uniform intensity distribution inside the plasma column, leading to a weaker airflow and an elliptic-shaped snow pile. The negatively chirped sub-picosecond laser pulses generate a spark-like intensity distribution inside the plasma column, which produces a wider range of airflow and a round snow pile. The amount of snow weight and the concentration of NO_3~- are found to be dependent on the intensity distribution inside the plasma column. The visibly stronger plasma column generates much more snow and a higher concentration of NO_3~-. These experimental results provide a reference for sub-picosecond laser-induced water condensation in realistic atmospheric conditions.     

Polarization-dependent femtosecond laser filamentation in air

We report on a systematic study of the laser polarization effect on a femtosecond laser filamentation in air.By changing the laser's ellipticity from linear polarization to circular polarization, the onset position of laser filament formation becomes farther from the focusing optics, the filament length is shorter, and less laser energy is deposited. The laser polarization effect on air filaments is supported by a simulation and analysis of the polarization-dependent critical power and ionization rates in air.