Effect of beam diameter on the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses

This paper describes the effects observed during the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air following the modification of the laser beam diameter with a pair of convex–concave lenses placed/mounted in a telescopic configuration. We observed that by reducing the diameter of the beam the detected back-scattered nitrogen fluorescence from the filaments becomes more stable on a shot-to-shot basis while, for a larger beam size, greater fluctuations are observed that are not correlated to shot-to-shot fluctuations in the laser pulse energy. This result leads to a new method to control the fluorescence signal which can be very important in remote-sensing applications. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.68.Ay; 42.68.Wt     

Effective length of filaments measurement using backscattered fluorescence from nitrogen molecules

The effective length of self-induced long (100 meters) plasma filaments, generated by intense femtosecond near IR laser pulses in air, was measured remotely using a lidar technique. This technique is based on detecting the backscattered fluorescence signal from nitrogen molecules excited along the intense laser pulse propagation path. This opens up the possibility of measuring remotely long filaments extending over hundreds of meters in the atmosphere. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.68.Ay; 42.68.Wt     

A simple method to significantly increase filaments’ length and?ionization density

A simple method to produce longer filaments with higher ionization density in air by controlling the diameter of an aperture in the laser beam path is studied via an analysis of the backscattered N₂ fluorescence collected by LIDAR. Significant increase in the fluorescence signal (approximately by a factor of five depending on the conditions) and an increased filament length was observed at an optimum diameter. 3D + time stochastic numerical simulations have shown that the optimum aperture size corresponds to the case of multiple filament ‘squeezing’ around the propagation axis forming the regularized elongated structure with higher overall amount of plasma. The optimum range of aperture sizes is the same for the initial transverse perturbation scale variation at least within a factor of three.     

空气中飞秒激光等离子体荧光辐射光谱研究

系统地研究了不同聚焦条件下飞秒激光空气等离子体的荧光辐射特性以及空间演化情况.在紧聚焦情况下,由于焦点附近比较高的激光强度以及比较高的电子密度,辐射光谱表现为连续谱和线状原子光谱的叠加.在弱聚焦情况下,辐射光谱主要由很多分子线谱组成,而没有观测到连续谱的产生.还研究了光谱谱线强度随激光传输距离的演化情况,结果显示,光谱谱线的强度变化在一定程度上间接反映了等离子体细丝的演化情况.     

Multi-parameter characterization of the longitudinal plasma profile of a filament: a comparative study

The longitudinal plasma profile of a laboratory scale filament induced by the propagation of an intense femtosecond laser pulse in air was measured simultaneously by three different methods. Each of them is based on a specific property of the filament, including electromagnetic pulse emission, backward emitted nitrogen fluorescence, and acoustic wave generation. Although each of above methods has been separately reported, it is the first time that a simultaneous multi-parameter measurement on a laser filament is presented. Such multiparameter measurement allows a direct comparison between the different methods, and a better understating of the dynamics of a filament from its generation through multi-photon/tunnel ionization (MPI/TI) to its damping through acoustic wave emission. The advantages as well as drawbacks of each method are analyzed in a comparative way. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.68.Ay; 42.68.Wt     

Triggering of high voltage discharge by femtosecond laser filaments on different wavelengths

The triggering and guiding of high voltage discharge by plasma filaments generated by 400 nm and 800 nm femtosecond laser were studied experimentally. The detailed diagnostics for characteristics of filaments, such as amount of free electrons, diameter and electron density, were performed using sonographic method, fluorescence imaging and resistivity measurement. A significant reduction of the breakdown voltage threshold due to the pre-ionization of the air gap by laser pulse filaments was observed. It is shown that the 400 nm laser pulses demonstrated stronger triggering ability than 800 nm laser pulse under same pulse energy. This behavior of 400 nm femtosecond pulse is connected to the rich population of highly excited particles in filaments.     

空气中激光等离子通道的演变和控制

为精确再现超强飞秒脉冲激光在大气中的传输特性,有效控制激光诱导等离子体通道的性能参数,基于扩展的非线性薛定谔方程,研究了空气中产生的等离子通道的演变过程。该模型在考虑衍射、色散和多光子效应的基础上,引入了拉曼散射、等离子体尾波场和相对论自聚焦等多种效应。讨论了电子密度和光强通量的空间分布特性,运用分步傅里叶法和有限差分法得到了电子密度和光强通量的分布,仿真结果显示,激光波长、单脉冲能量、脉宽和束腰半径等初始参数的变化将对等离子体通道的演变产生显著影响,为超短脉冲强激光在大气中成丝位置和形态控制提供了可能的途径。     

Multiple filamentation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air

The propagation of focused femtosecond laser pulses with supercritical peak powers in air has been investigated by the methods of optical visualization, profilometry, and calorimetry. Laser pulses with supercritical powers create a bundle of submillimeter filaments with a diameter of about 5 μm ahead of the lens focus; the maximum number of filaments in the beam cross section and their length increase linearly and sublinearly, respectively, with the radiation peak power. The optical visualization and calorimetry indicate that the plasma channels of filaments are optical contrast (a plasma density of 10¹⁸–10¹⁹ cm⁻³), ensuring the refraction of laser radiation incident on them.     

An efficient control of ultrashort laser filament location in air for the purpose of remote sensing

The unavoidable hot spots in a practical terawatt level laser pulse will self-focus in air at a short distance. The short distance cannot be changed significantly by only controlling the chirp or divergence. We overcome such early self-focusing by using a telescope, which enlarges the diameter of the beam, thus that of the hot spots. The telescope’s effective focal length is much shorter than the self-focusing distance of both the enlarged beam and the hot spots. Then, the resulting filaments merge into the geometrical focus whose position is controllable by the telescope. This technique also minimizes the generation of white light. PACS 52.38.Hb; 42.65.Jx; 52.35.Mw     

Triggering and guiding of high voltage discharge by using femtosecond laser filaments with different parameters

This paper demonstrates the triggering and guiding of the stationary high voltage (HV) discharges at 5--40 kV by using plasma filaments generated by femtosecond laser pulses in air. A significant reduction of the breakdown voltage threshold due to the pre-ionization of the air gap by laser filamentation is observed. The discharge experiments are performed by using laser pulses with different energy from 15--60 mJ. The electron density of filaments is detected by sonography method. The influence of the electron density of laser filaments on the triggering and guiding HV discharge is experimentally investigated. The results have shown that the behaviour of plasma filaments can strongly affect the efficiency of triggering and guiding HV discharge.     

Transverse evolution of a plasma channel in air induced by a femtosecond laser

We investigate the evolution of filamentation in air by using a longitudinal diffraction method and a plasma fluorescence imaging technique. The diameter of a single filament in which the intensity is clamped increases as the energy of the pump light pulse increases, until multiple filaments appear.     

Relativistic filamentation of laser beams in plasma

We describe the results of a numerical code which models the relativistic selffocussing of high-intensity laser beams in plasmas by the nonlinear relativistic dependence of the optical constants on laser intensity. The plasma dynamics of 10¹³ W Nd glass lasers of 30 m initial beam diameter in nearly cut-off density plasmas is followed for a few picoseconds interaction time and 25 m depth into the plasma. Rapid relativistic selffocussing down to a beam diameter of one micron in a distance of the order of the original beam diameter is observed, as well as the production of GeV ions moving against the laser light.     

Experimental confirmation of high-stability of fluorescence in a femtosecond laser filament in air

Femtosecond laser filamentation is particularly interesting for remote sensing pollutant in the atmosphere. In this work, we investigate the local shot-to-shot stability of the filament induced fluorescence of nitrogen in air. It is found that the root-mean square fluctuation of the fluorescence signal is at least one order of magnitude lower than that of the linear propagation case. In practice, it would contribute to improve the robustness of long distance spectroscopic analysis of the fluorescence of pollutant molecules inside the filament. We further point out that this unique property of filament induced fluorescence spectroscopy is because of the intensity clamping, a profound phenomenon of filamentation.     

Non‐linear interaction of a q‐Gaussian laser beam in a plasma channel created by the ignitor‐heater technique

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the propagation characteristics of a q‐Gaussian laser beam propagating through a plasma channel created by the ignitor‐heater technique. The ignitor beam creates the plasma by tunnel‐ionization of air. The heater beam heats the plasma electrons and establishes a parabolic channel. The third beam (q‐Gaussian beam) is guided in the plasma channel under the combined effects of density non‐uniformity and non‐uniform ohmic heating of the plasma channel. Numerical solutions of the non‐linear Schrodinger wave equation (NSWE) for the fields of laser beams are obtained with the help of the moment theory approach. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamical variations of the spot size of the laser beams and the longitudinal phase shift of the guided beam with the distance of propagation.     

Laser-based optical emission studies of barium plasma

We present the optical emission characteristics of the barium plasma produced at the surface of barium hydroxide Ba(OH)₂, also known as baryta, generated by the first harmonic (1,064 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The laser beam was focused on target material by placing it in air at atmospheric pressure. The experimentally observed line profiles of neutral barium have been used to extract the electron temperature using the Boltzmann plot method, whereas the electron number density has been determined from the Stark broadening. The electron temperature is calculated by varying distance from the target surface along the line of propagation of plasma plume and also by varying the laser energy. Besides, we have studied the variation of number density as a function of laser energy as well as its variation with distance from the target surface. It is observed that electron temperature and electron number density increase as laser energy increases.     

UV–Supercontinuum generated by femtosecond pulse filamentation in air: Meter-range experiments versus numerical simulations

We report new experimental and numerical results on supercontinuum generation at ultraviolet/visible wavelengths produced by the propagation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses in air. Spectral broadening is shown to similarly affect single filaments over laboratory distance scales, as well as broad beams over long-range propagation distances. Numerical simulations display evidence of the crucial role of third harmonic generation in the build-up of UV–visible wavelengths, by comparison with current single-envelope models including chromatic dispersion and self-steepening. PACS 52.38.Hb; 42.65.Tg; 42.65.Jx; 42.68.Ay     

Experimental investigation of stochastic pulsation and formation of light bullets with megagauss magnetic fields by an intense laser pulse propagating in a preionized plasma

The generation of extremely stable light bullets in a preformed plasma near critical density has been observed experimentally during the interaction of intense picosecond laser beam with a metallic target in air. Optical probing measurements indicate the formation of pulsating channels, typically of about 5 microm in diameter, directed towards a heating laser beam, as well as of disconnected massive plasma blocks moving also towards the laser beam. The velocities of the dense plasma blocks reach the values of 4.5x10(8) cm/s. The blocks are stable during their acceleration and propagation in air. Self-generated magnetic fields up to 4-7 MG were observed by means of the Faraday rotation of a probe laser beam.     

Microwave energy channeling in plasma waveguides created by a high-power UV laser in the atmosphere

The grazing mode of microwave propagation in a hollow plasma waveguide formed by ionization of atmospheric air with a small easily ionized additive by strong UV pulses of the Garpun KrF laser (λ = 248 nm, the pulse duration and energy are ∼70 ns and ∼50 J) was experimentally demonstrated for the first time. The annular laser beam produced a hollow tube ∼10 cm in diameter with an electron density of ∼10¹² cm⁻³ in a plasma wall ∼1 cm thick, over whichmicrowave radiation with λ _mw ∼ 8 mm was transmitted to a distance of 60 m. Themicrowave signal transmitted by the waveguide was amplified by a factor of 6 in comparison with propagation in free space.     

荧光法研究空气等离子体膨胀动力学过程

基于等离子体荧光法研究了Nd∶YAG纳秒1 064 nm激光脉冲诱导击穿空气等离子体的膨胀动力学过程,用ICCD相机捕获了不同激光脉冲能量诱导的空气等离子体随时间演化图像,给出激光能量100,150,200,300 mJ时击穿空气产生的空气等离子体波阵面前沿的膨胀距离,推演出空气等离子体的扩展速度。实验结果表明等离子体发光区域主要分布在等离子体膨胀区域,等离子体荧光强度随时间增加变强然后渐渐变弱,膨胀区域逐渐增大,在300 mJ,22 ns膨胀距离最大达到3.76 mm,等离子体扩展速度在膨胀初期达到105 m·s-1量级,在膨胀16 ns内迅速衰减,随后趋于平缓。激光脉冲能量越大,引起空气击穿的时刻靠近高斯激光脉冲上升阶段。     

Optical emission studies of sulphur plasma using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

We present the optical emission studies of sulphur (S) plasma generated by the first (1064 nm) and second (532 nm) wavelengths of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The target material was placed in front of laser beam in air at atmospheric pressure. The experimentally observed line profiles of neutral sulphur have been used to extract the electron temperature (T _e ) using the Boltzmann plot method, whereas the electron number density (N _e ) has been determined from the Stark broadening. The electron temperature is calculated by varying, distance from, the target surface along the line of propagation of plasma plume and also by varying the laser irradiance. Beside we have studied the variation of number density as a function of laser irradiance as well as its variation with distance from the target surface. It is observed that electron temperature and electron number density increases as laser irradiance is increased.