Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases

P. Béjot (1) , W. Ettoumi (2) , Y. Petit (2) , J. Kasparian (2) , S. Henin (2) , V. Loriot (1) , T. Vieillard (1) , E. Hertz (1) , O. Faucher (1) , B. Lavorel (1) , J.-P. Wolf (2)

1 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne
2 GAP - Group of Applied Physics [Geneva]

Higher-order nonlinear indices, rather than plasma, provide the main defocusing contribution to filamentation in gases at 800 nm. Developing generalized Miller formulae, we discuss the generality of this as a function of the laser wavelength

Mots clés: laser filamenation; nonlinear propagation; optical Kerr effect

Domaines: Physique Atomique [physics.atom-ph]

P. Béjot, W. Ettoumi, Y. Petit, J. Kasparian, S. Henin, et al.. Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases. Third International Symposium on Filamentation (COFIL 2010), May 2010, Capsis Elite Resort, Crete, Greece. ⟨hal-00502944⟩