Filamentation is an efficient way to produce an intense and spectrally broad, but poorly stable, source for coherent control spectroscopy. We first described both theoretically and experimentally the filamentation and broadening of a 410 nm ultrashort laser pulse in Argon. By observing the theoretical and experimental spectral cross-correlation in the filament, we then show that the stability of the source can be improved. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio of the intensity inside the filament is increased up to 7 dB by its spectral filtering which provide a low noise broad spectrum source.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. T. Brixner, N. H. Damrauer, P. Niklaus, and G. Gerber, Photoselective adaptive femtosecond quantum control in the liquid phase, Nature 414, 57-60 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. J. M. Dela Cruz, I. Pastirk, V. V. Lozovoy, K. A. Walowicz, and M. Dantus, Multiphoton intrapulse interference 3: Probing microscopic chemical environments, J. Phys. Chem. A 108, 53-58 (2004). [CrossRef]
3. F. Courvoisier, V. Boutou, V. Wood, A. Bartelt, M. Roth, H. Rabitz, and J. P. Wolf, Femtosecond laser pulses distinguish bacteria from background urban aerosols, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 063901 (2005). [CrossRef]
4. V. V. Lozovoy and M. Dantus, Coherent control in femtochemistry, Chemphyschem 6, 1970-2000 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. A.M. Weiner, Femtosecond pulse shaping using spatial light modulators, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 1929-1960 (2000). [CrossRef]
6. J. P. Ogilvie, D. Dbarre, X. Solinas, J. L. Martin, E. Beaurepaire and M. Joffre, Use of coherent control for selective two-photon fluorescence microscopy in live organisms, Opt. Express 14 (2), 759-766 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. J. Kasparian, M. Rodriguez, G. Mejean, J. Yu, E. Salmon, H. Wille, R. Bourayou, S. Frey, Y. B. Andre, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J. P. Wolf, and L. Woste, White-light filaments for atmospheric analysis, Science 301, 61-64 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. H. Wille, M. Rodriguez, J. Kasparian, D. Mondelain, J. Yu, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J. P. Wolf, and L. Woste, Teramobile: A mobile femtosecond-terawatt laser and detection system, Eur. Phys. J: Appl. Phys. 20, 183-190 (2002). [CrossRef]
9. S. Coudreau, D. Kaplan, and P. Tournois, Ultraviolet acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter laser pulse shaping in KDP, Opt. Lett. 12, 1899-1901 (2006). [CrossRef]
10. M. Hacker, G. Stobrawa, R. Sauerbrey, T. Buckup, M. Motzkus, M. Wildenhain, and A. Gehner, Micromirror SLM for femtosecond pulse shapiing in the ultraviolet, Appl. Phys. B,  76, 711-714 (2003). [CrossRef]
11. F. G. Omenetto, B. P. Luce, and A. J. Taylor, Genetic algorithm pulse shaping for optimum femtosecond propagation in optical fibers, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B,  16, 2005-2009 (1999). [CrossRef]
12. Z. Cheng, G. Tempea, T. Brabec, K. Ferencz, C. Spielman, and F. Krausz, Generation of Intense Diffraction- Limited White Light and 4-fs Pulses, Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe, 1998. 1998 CLEO/Europe. Conference on
13. C. P. Hauri, W. Kornelis, F. W. Helbing, A. Heinrich, A. Couairon, A. Mysyrowicz, J. Biegert, and U. Keller, Generation of intense, carrier-envelope phase-locked few-cycle laser pulses through filamentation, Appl. Phys. B 79, 673-677 (2004) [CrossRef]
14. A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media, Phys. Rep. 441, 47-189 (2007). [CrossRef]
15. G. Mejean, J. Kasparian, J. Yu, S. Frey, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, J. P. Wolf, L. Berge, and S. Skupin, Uvsupercontinuum generated by femtosecond pulse filamentation in air: Meter-range experiments versus numerical simulations, Appl. Phys. B,  82, 341-345 (2006). [CrossRef]
16. S. L. Chin, F. Thberge, W. Liu, Filamentation nonlinear optics, Appl. Phys. B 86, 477-483 (2007). [CrossRef]
17. S. R. Friberg, S. Machida, M. J. Werner, A. Levanon, and T. Mukai, Observation of optical soliton photon-number squeezing, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3775-3778 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. S. Spalter, N. Korolkova, F. Konig, A. Sizmann, and G. Leuchs, Observation of multimode quantum correlations in fiber optical solitons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 786-789 (1998). [CrossRef]
19. L. Boivin, F. X. Kartner, and H. A. Haus, Analytical solution to the quantum-field theory of self-phase modulation with a finite response-time, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 240-243 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. T. Opatrny, N. Korolkova, and G. Leuchs, Mode structure and photon number correlations in squeezed quantum pulses, Phys. Rev. A 66, 053813 (2002). [CrossRef]
21. E. Schmidt, L. Knoll, and D. G. Welsch, Cumulant expansion for studying damped quantum solitons, Phys. Rev. A 59, 2442-2457 (1999). [CrossRef]
22. M. Mlejnek, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, Femtosecond pulse propagation in argon: A pressure dependence study, Phys. Rev. E 58, 4903-4910 (1998). [CrossRef]
23. H. Ehrhardt, Hesselba.Kh, K. Jung, E. Schubert, and K. Willmann, Electron-impact ionization of argon - measurements of triple differential cross-sections, J. Phys. B 7, 69-78 (1974). [CrossRef]
24. M. D. Feit and J. A. Fleck, Effect of refraction on spot-size dependence of laser-induced breakdown, Appl. Phys. Lett. 24, 169-172 (1974). [CrossRef]
25. A. Couairon, S. Tzortzakis, L. Berge, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, Infrared femtosecond light filaments in air: simulations and experiments, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19, 1117-1131 (2002). [CrossRef]
26. W. H. Press, B. P. Flannery, S. A. Teukolsky, and W. T. Vetterling, Numerical recipies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Numerical Recipies, 1989.
27. A. Chiron, B. Lamouroux, R. Lange, J. F. Ripoche, M. Franco, B. Prade, G. Bonnaud, G. Riazuelo, and A. Mysyrowicz, Numerical simulations of the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond optical pulses in gases, Eur. Phys. J D 6, 383-396 (1999). [CrossRef]
28. E. R. Peck and D. J. Fischer, Dispersion of argon, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 54, 1362-1364 (1964). [CrossRef]
29. V. Mizrahi and D. P. Shelton, Dispersion of nonlinear susceptibilities of Ar, N2, and O2 measured and compared, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 696-699 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
30. Y. P. Raizer, Plasma physics, Springer, Berlin, Plasma Physics (1994).
31. A. Couairon and L. Berge, Light filaments in air for ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 135003 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
32. S. Champeaux and L. Berge, Femtosecond pulse compression in pressure-gas cells filled with argon, Phys. Rev. E 68, 066603 (2003). [CrossRef]
33. T. Brixner, N. H. Damrauer, B. Kiefer, and G. Gerber, Liquid-phase adaptive femtosecond quantum control: Removing intrinsic intensity dependencies, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 3692-3701 (2003). [CrossRef]
34. P. Bejot, J. Kasparian, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, N. Gisin, and J. P. Wolf, Laser noise reduction in air, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 251112 (2006). [CrossRef]
35. P. Bejot, J. Kasparian, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, and J. P. Wolf, Spectral correlation and noise reduction in laser filaments, Appl. Phys. B 87, 1-4 (2007). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B

• M. Hacker, G. Stobrawa, R. Sauerbrey, T. Buckup, M. Motzkus, M. Wildenhain, and A. Gehner, Micromirror SLM for femtosecond pulse shapiing in the ultraviolet, Appl. Phys. B,  76, 711-714 (2003). [CrossRef]
• C. P. Hauri, W. Kornelis, F. W. Helbing, A. Heinrich, A. Couairon, A. Mysyrowicz, J. Biegert, and U. Keller, Generation of intense, carrier-envelope phase-locked few-cycle laser pulses through filamentation, Appl. Phys. B 79, 673-677 (2004) [CrossRef]
• G. Mejean, J. Kasparian, J. Yu, S. Frey, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, J. P. Wolf, L. Berge, and S. Skupin, Uvsupercontinuum generated by femtosecond pulse filamentation in air: Meter-range experiments versus numerical simulations, Appl. Phys. B,  82, 341-345 (2006). [CrossRef]
• S. L. Chin, F. Thberge, W. Liu, Filamentation nonlinear optics, Appl. Phys. B 86, 477-483 (2007). [CrossRef]
• P. Bejot, J. Kasparian, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, and J. P. Wolf, Spectral correlation and noise reduction in laser filaments, Appl. Phys. B 87, 1-4 (2007). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• P. Bejot, J. Kasparian, E. Salmon, R. Ackermann, N. Gisin, and J. P. Wolf, Laser noise reduction in air, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 251112 (2006). [CrossRef]
• M. D. Feit and J. A. Fleck, Effect of refraction on spot-size dependence of laser-induced breakdown, Appl. Phys. Lett. 24, 169-172 (1974). [CrossRef]
• F. Courvoisier, V. Boutou, V. Wood, A. Bartelt, M. Roth, H. Rabitz, and J. P. Wolf, Femtosecond laser pulses distinguish bacteria from background urban aerosols, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 063901 (2005). [CrossRef]

Chemphyschem

• V. V. Lozovoy and M. Dantus, Coherent control in femtochemistry, Chemphyschem 6, 1970-2000 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Eur. Phys. J D

• A. Chiron, B. Lamouroux, R. Lange, J. F. Ripoche, M. Franco, B. Prade, G. Bonnaud, G. Riazuelo, and A. Mysyrowicz, Numerical simulations of the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond optical pulses in gases, Eur. Phys. J D 6, 383-396 (1999). [CrossRef]

Eur. Phys. J: Appl. Phys.

• H. Wille, M. Rodriguez, J. Kasparian, D. Mondelain, J. Yu, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J. P. Wolf, and L. Woste, Teramobile: A mobile femtosecond-terawatt laser and detection system, Eur. Phys. J: Appl. Phys. 20, 183-190 (2002). [CrossRef]

J. Chem. Phys.

• T. Brixner, N. H. Damrauer, B. Kiefer, and G. Gerber, Liquid-phase adaptive femtosecond quantum control: Removing intrinsic intensity dependencies, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 3692-3701 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am.

• E. R. Peck and D. J. Fischer, Dispersion of argon, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 54, 1362-1364 (1964). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Couairon, S. Tzortzakis, L. Berge, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, Infrared femtosecond light filaments in air: simulations and experiments, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19, 1117-1131 (2002). [CrossRef]
• F. G. Omenetto, B. P. Luce, and A. J. Taylor, Genetic algorithm pulse shaping for optimum femtosecond propagation in optical fibers, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B,  16, 2005-2009 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. B

• H. Ehrhardt, Hesselba.Kh, K. Jung, E. Schubert, and K. Willmann, Electron-impact ionization of argon - measurements of triple differential cross-sections, J. Phys. B 7, 69-78 (1974). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. Chem. A

• J. M. Dela Cruz, I. Pastirk, V. V. Lozovoy, K. A. Walowicz, and M. Dantus, Multiphoton intrapulse interference 3: Probing microscopic chemical environments, J. Phys. Chem. A 108, 53-58 (2004). [CrossRef]

Nature

• T. Brixner, N. H. Damrauer, P. Niklaus, and G. Gerber, Photoselective adaptive femtosecond quantum control in the liquid phase, Nature 414, 57-60 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• J. P. Ogilvie, D. Dbarre, X. Solinas, J. L. Martin, E. Beaurepaire and M. Joffre, Use of coherent control for selective two-photon fluorescence microscopy in live organisms, Opt. Express 14 (2), 759-766 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• S. Coudreau, D. Kaplan, and P. Tournois, Ultraviolet acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter laser pulse shaping in KDP, Opt. Lett. 12, 1899-1901 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rep.

• A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media, Phys. Rep. 441, 47-189 (2007). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A

• T. Opatrny, N. Korolkova, and G. Leuchs, Mode structure and photon number correlations in squeezed quantum pulses, Phys. Rev. A 66, 053813 (2002). [CrossRef]
• E. Schmidt, L. Knoll, and D. G. Welsch, Cumulant expansion for studying damped quantum solitons, Phys. Rev. A 59, 2442-2457 (1999). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E

• M. Mlejnek, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, Femtosecond pulse propagation in argon: A pressure dependence study, Phys. Rev. E 58, 4903-4910 (1998). [CrossRef]
• S. Champeaux and L. Berge, Femtosecond pulse compression in pressure-gas cells filled with argon, Phys. Rev. E 68, 066603 (2003). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• A. Couairon and L. Berge, Light filaments in air for ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 135003 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Mizrahi and D. P. Shelton, Dispersion of nonlinear susceptibilities of Ar, N2, and O2 measured and compared, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 696-699 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. R. Friberg, S. Machida, M. J. Werner, A. Levanon, and T. Mukai, Observation of optical soliton photon-number squeezing, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3775-3778 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Spalter, N. Korolkova, F. Konig, A. Sizmann, and G. Leuchs, Observation of multimode quantum correlations in fiber optical solitons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 786-789 (1998). [CrossRef]
• L. Boivin, F. X. Kartner, and H. A. Haus, Analytical solution to the quantum-field theory of self-phase modulation with a finite response-time, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 240-243 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

• A.M. Weiner, Femtosecond pulse shaping using spatial light modulators, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 1929-1960 (2000). [CrossRef]

Science

• J. Kasparian, M. Rodriguez, G. Mejean, J. Yu, E. Salmon, H. Wille, R. Bourayou, S. Frey, Y. B. Andre, A. Mysyrowicz, R. Sauerbrey, J. P. Wolf, and L. Woste, White-light filaments for atmospheric analysis, Science 301, 61-64 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• Z. Cheng, G. Tempea, T. Brabec, K. Ferencz, C. Spielman, and F. Krausz, Generation of Intense Diffraction- Limited White Light and 4-fs Pulses, Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe, 1998. 1998 CLEO/Europe. Conference on
• Y. P. Raizer, Plasma physics, Springer, Berlin, Plasma Physics (1994).
• W. H. Press, B. P. Flannery, S. A. Teukolsky, and W. T. Vetterling, Numerical recipies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Numerical Recipies, 1989.

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