We present measurements of the supercontinuum emission (SCE) from ultrashort Ti:Saph laser pulse filamentation in air in a tightly focused geometry. The spectral broadening of SCE indicates that peak intensities exceed the clamping value of a few 10¹³ W/cm² obtained for filamentation in a loose focusing geometry by at least one order of magnitude. We provide an interpretation for this regime of filamenation without intensity clamping.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

1. A. Dubietis, E. Gaizauskas, G. Tamošauskas, and P. Di Trapani, "Light Filaments without Self-Channeling," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 253903 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. A. Couairon, and A. Mysyrowicz, "Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media," Phys. Rep. 441, 47-189 (2007). [CrossRef]
3. F. Belgiorno, S. L. Cacciatori, G. Ortenzi, V. G. Sala, and D. Faccio, "Quantum Radiation from Superluminal Refractive-Index Perturbations," Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 140403 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. C. D’Amico, A. Houard, S. Akturk, Y. Liu, J. Le Bloas, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Couairon, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, "Forward THz radiation emission by femtosecond filamentation in gases: theory and experiment," N. J. Phys. 10, 013015 (2008). [CrossRef]
5. S. Suntsov, D. Abdollahpour, D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "Efficient third-harmonic generation through tailored IR femtosecond laser pulse filamentation in air," Opt. Express 17, 3190 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. S. Suntsov, D. Abdollahpour, D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "Filamentation produced third harmonic in air via plasma enhanced third-order susceptibility," Phys. Rev. A 81, 033817 (2010). [CrossRef]
7. G. Méchain, A. Couairon, Y.-B. André, C. D’Amico, M. Franco, B. Prade, S. Tzortzakis, A. Mysyrowicz, and R. Sauerbrey, "Long-range self-channeling of infrared laser pulses in air: a new propagation regime without ionization," Appl. Phys. B 79, 379-382 (2004). [CrossRef]
8. G. Méchain, C. D’Amico, Y.-B. André, S. Tzortzakis, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz, A. Couairon, E. Salmon, and R. Sauerbrey, "Range of plasma filaments created in air by a multi-terawatt femtosecond laser," Opt. Commun. 247, 171-180 (2005). [CrossRef]
9. C. Ruiz, J. San Román, C. Méndez, V. Díaz, L. Plaja, I. Arias, and L. Roso, "Observation of Spontaneous Self-Channeling of Light in Air below the Collapse Threshold," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 053905 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. P. P. Kiran, S. Bagchi, S. R. Krishnan, C. L. Arnold, G. R. Kumar, and A. Couairon, "Focal dynamics of multiple filaments: Microscopic Imaging and Reconstruction," Phys. Rev. A 82, 013805 (2010). [CrossRef]
11. A. A. Ionin, S. I. Kudryashov, S. V. Makarov, L. V. Seleznev, and D. V. Sinitsyn, "Multiple Filamentation of Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Air," JETP Lett. 90, 423 (2009). [CrossRef]
12. O. Varela, A. Zaïr, J. San Román, B. Alonso, I. J. Sola, C. Prieto, and L. Roso, "Above-millijoule super-continuum generation using polarisation dependent filamentation in atoms and molecules," Opt. Express 17, 3630-3639 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. W. Liu, S. Petit, A. Becker, N. Aközbek, C. M. Bowden, and S. L. Chin, "Intensity clamping of a femtosecond laser pulse in condensed matter," Opt. Commun. 202, 189-197 (2002). [CrossRef]
14. A. Couairon, H. S. Chakraborty, and M. B. Gaarde, "From single-cycle self-compressed filaments to isolated attosecond pulses in noble gases," Phys. Rev. A 77, 053814 (2008). [CrossRef]
15. M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, "Intensity Spikes in Laser Filamentation: Diagnostics and Application," Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 043901 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. H. S. Chakraborty, M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, "Single attosecond pulses from high harmonics driven by self-compressed filaments," Opt. Lett. 31, 3662-3664 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. H. Yang, J. Zhang, Q. Zhang, Z. Hao, Y. Li, Z. Zheng, Z. Wang, Q. Dong, X. Lu, Z. Wei, Z. Sheng, J. Yu, and W. Yu, "Polarization-dependent supercontinuum generation from light filaments in air," Opt. Lett. 30, 534-536 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. A. Couairon, "Light bullets from femtosecond filamentation," Eur. J. Phys. D 27, 159-167 (2003). [CrossRef]
19. F. Théberge, W. Liu, P. Tr. Simard, A. Becker, and S. L. Chin, "Plasma density inside a femtosecond laser filament in air: Strong dependence on external focusing," Phys. Rev. E 74, 036406 (2006). [CrossRef]
20. D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "In-line holography for the characterization of ultrafast laser filamentation in transparent media," Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 041120 (2008). [CrossRef]
21. X. Lu, X. L. Liu, T. T. Xi, X. Liu, and J. Zhang, "Tightly focused femtosecond laser pulse induced breakdown in air" in COFIL 2010, abstracts of the 3rd International Symposium on Filamentation, p. 73.

Appl. Phys. B

• G. Méchain, A. Couairon, Y.-B. André, C. D’Amico, M. Franco, B. Prade, S. Tzortzakis, A. Mysyrowicz, and R. Sauerbrey, "Long-range self-channeling of infrared laser pulses in air: a new propagation regime without ionization," Appl. Phys. B 79, 379-382 (2004). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "In-line holography for the characterization of ultrafast laser filamentation in transparent media," Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 041120 (2008). [CrossRef]

Eur. J. Phys. D

• A. Couairon, "Light bullets from femtosecond filamentation," Eur. J. Phys. D 27, 159-167 (2003). [CrossRef]

JETP Lett.

• A. A. Ionin, S. I. Kudryashov, S. V. Makarov, L. V. Seleznev, and D. V. Sinitsyn, "Multiple Filamentation of Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Air," JETP Lett. 90, 423 (2009). [CrossRef]

N. J. Phys.

• C. D’Amico, A. Houard, S. Akturk, Y. Liu, J. Le Bloas, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Couairon, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, "Forward THz radiation emission by femtosecond filamentation in gases: theory and experiment," N. J. Phys. 10, 013015 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• G. Méchain, C. D’Amico, Y.-B. André, S. Tzortzakis, M. Franco, B. Prade, A. Mysyrowicz, A. Couairon, E. Salmon, and R. Sauerbrey, "Range of plasma filaments created in air by a multi-terawatt femtosecond laser," Opt. Commun. 247, 171-180 (2005). [CrossRef]
• W. Liu, S. Petit, A. Becker, N. Aközbek, C. M. Bowden, and S. L. Chin, "Intensity clamping of a femtosecond laser pulse in condensed matter," Opt. Commun. 202, 189-197 (2002). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• O. Varela, A. Zaïr, J. San Román, B. Alonso, I. J. Sola, C. Prieto, and L. Roso, "Above-millijoule super-continuum generation using polarisation dependent filamentation in atoms and molecules," Opt. Express 17, 3630-3639 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Suntsov, D. Abdollahpour, D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "Efficient third-harmonic generation through tailored IR femtosecond laser pulse filamentation in air," Opt. Express 17, 3190 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• H. S. Chakraborty, M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, "Single attosecond pulses from high harmonics driven by self-compressed filaments," Opt. Lett. 31, 3662-3664 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Yang, J. Zhang, Q. Zhang, Z. Hao, Y. Li, Z. Zheng, Z. Wang, Q. Dong, X. Lu, Z. Wei, Z. Sheng, J. Yu, and W. Yu, "Polarization-dependent supercontinuum generation from light filaments in air," Opt. Lett. 30, 534-536 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rep.

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

Phys. Rev. A

• S. Suntsov, D. Abdollahpour, D. G. Papazoglou, and S. Tzortzakis, "Filamentation produced third harmonic in air via plasma enhanced third-order susceptibility," Phys. Rev. A 81, 033817 (2010). [CrossRef]
• P. P. Kiran, S. Bagchi, S. R. Krishnan, C. L. Arnold, G. R. Kumar, and A. Couairon, "Focal dynamics of multiple filaments: Microscopic Imaging and Reconstruction," Phys. Rev. A 82, 013805 (2010). [CrossRef]
• A. Couairon, H. S. Chakraborty, and M. B. Gaarde, "From single-cycle self-compressed filaments to isolated attosecond pulses in noble gases," Phys. Rev. A 77, 053814 (2008). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E

• F. Théberge, W. Liu, P. Tr. Simard, A. Becker, and S. L. Chin, "Plasma density inside a femtosecond laser filament in air: Strong dependence on external focusing," Phys. Rev. E 74, 036406 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, "Intensity Spikes in Laser Filamentation: Diagnostics and Application," Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 043901 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Dubietis, E. Gaizauskas, G. Tamošauskas, and P. Di Trapani, "Light Filaments without Self-Channeling," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 253903 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. Ruiz, J. San Román, C. Méndez, V. Díaz, L. Plaja, I. Arias, and L. Roso, "Observation of Spontaneous Self-Channeling of Light in Air below the Collapse Threshold," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 053905 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• F. Belgiorno, S. L. Cacciatori, G. Ortenzi, V. G. Sala, and D. Faccio, "Quantum Radiation from Superluminal Refractive-Index Perturbations," Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 140403 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• X. Lu, X. L. Liu, T. T. Xi, X. Liu, and J. Zhang, "Tightly focused femtosecond laser pulse induced breakdown in air" in COFIL 2010, abstracts of the 3rd International Symposium on Filamentation, p. 73.

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