Nonlinear interaction of intense ultrashort filaments

  • Heping Zeng*
  • , Jia Liu
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

We review our recent experimental studies on nonlinear interaction of intense ultrashort filaments in air. Strong spatiotemporal couplings are observed for non-collinearly interacting filaments and their intensity interference assists the formation of wavelength-scale periodic plasma density in the interaction region. Plasma waveguides based on such periodic modulation are experimentally observed as a potential high-intensity laser plasma component. As a result of the periodic modulation of the refractive index, plasma gratings are established with a relatively long lifetime, giving rising to time-delayed diffraction and efficient energy transfer between the interacting filaments. Two-dimensional plasma gratings as well as two-dimensional diffracted arrays are observed. The non-collinear filament interaction induces observable filament elongation and remarkable third harmonic enhancement of more than two orders of magnitude. Nonlinear filament interaction could be controlled to coalesce the intersecting ultraviolet femtosecond filaments into a single intense filament of a quite small core diameter.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNonlinear Photonics and Novel Optical Phenomena
EditorsZhigang Chen, Zhigang Chen, Roberto Morandotti
Pages259-295
Number of pages37
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameSpringer Series in Optical Sciences
Volume170
ISSN (Print)0342-4111
ISSN (Electronic)1556-1534

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