We numerically investigated the femtosecond laser filamentation in a cell filled with argon of non-uniform density distribution. By comparison with the case of uniform density distribution, we demonstrated the crucial differences in the dynamics between the two cases. We found that the pulse-splitting appeared earlier due to the sensitivity of rear-part refocusing to the plasma density and a double $\Lambda$ shape appeared in the spatio-temporal intensity profile in the non-uniform density case.

© 2012 OSA

1. A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, “Self-channeling of high-peak-power femtosecond laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett.20(1), 73–75 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. E. T. J. Nibbering, P. F. Curley, G. Grillon, B. S. Prade, M. A. Franco, F. Salin, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Conical emission from self-guided femtosecond pulses in air,” Opt. Lett.21(1), 62–65 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. J. Kasparian and J.-P. Wolf, “Physics and applications of atmospheric nonlinear optics and filamentation,” Opt. Express16(1), 466–493 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. J. Schwarz and J.-C. Diels, “UV filaments and their application for laser-induced lightning and high-aspect-ratio hole drilling,” Appl. Phys., A Mater. Sci. Process.77(2), 185–191 (2003).
5. A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, “Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media,” Phys. Rep.441(2–4), 47–189 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. L. Berge, S. Skupin, R. Nuter, J. Kasparian, and J.-P. Wolf, “Ultrashort filaments of light in weakly ionized, optically transparent media,” Rep. Prog. Phys.70(10), 1633–1713 (2007). [CrossRef]
7. P. Béjot, J. Kasparian, S. Henin, V. Loriot, T. Vieillard, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, B. Lavorel, and J.-P. Wolf, “Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases,” Phys. Rev. Lett.104(10), 103903 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. M. Kolesik, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Femtosecond filamentation in air and higher-order nonlinearities,” Opt. Lett.35(15), 2550–2552 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. P. Polynkin, M. Kolesik, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Experimental tests of the new paradigm for laser filamentation in gases,” Phys. Rev. Lett.106(15), 153902 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. Z. Wang, C. Zhang, J. Liu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, “Femtosecond filamentation in argon and higher-order nonlinearities,” Opt. Lett.36(12), 2336–2338 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. O. Kosareva, J.-F. Daigle, N. Panov, T. Wang, S. Hosseini, S. Yuan, G. Roy, V. Makarov, and S. L. Chin, “Arrest of self-focusing collapse in femtosecond air filaments: higher order Kerr or plasma defocusing?” Opt. Lett.36(7), 1035–1037 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. Y.-H. Chen, S. Varma, T. M. Antonsen, and H. M. Milchberg, “Direct measurement of the electron density of extended femtosecond laser pulse-induced filaments,” Phys. Rev. Lett.105(21), 215005 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. P. Béjot, E. Hertz, J. Kasparian, B. Lavorel, J.-P. Wolf, and O. Faucher, “Transition from plasma-driven to Kerr-driven laser filamentation,” Phys. Rev. Lett.106(24), 243902 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. A. L. Gaeta, “Catastrophic collapse of ultrashort pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett.84(16), 3582–3585 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. L. Bergé and A. Couairon, “Gas-induced solitons,” Phys. Rev. Lett.86(6), 1003–1006 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. 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. B79(6), 673–677 (2004). [CrossRef]
17. S. Skupin, G. Stibenz, L. Bergé, F. Lederer, T. Sokollik, M. Schnürer, N. Zhavoronkov, and G. Steinmeyer, “Self-compression by femtosecond pulse filamentation: experiments versus numerical simulations,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Nonlin. Soft Matter Phys.74(5), 056604 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. A. Mysyrowicz, A. Couairon, and U. Keller, “Self-compression of optical laser pulses by filamentation,” New J. Phys.10(2), 025023 (2008). [CrossRef]
19. L. Bergé, S. Skupin, and G. Steinmeyer, “Temporal self-restoration of compressed optical filaments,” Phys. Rev. Lett.101(21), 213901 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. Z. Wang, J. Liu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, “Supercontinuum generation and pulse compression from gas filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses with different durations,” Opt. Express17(16), 13841–13850 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
21. C. Brée, J. Bethge, S. Skupin, L. Bergé, A. Demircan, and G. Steinmeyer, “Cascaded self-compression of femtosecond pulses in filaments,” New J. Phys.12(9), 093046 (2010). [CrossRef]
22. G. Stibenz, N. Zhavoronkov, and G. Steinmeyer, “Self-compression of millijoule pulses to 7.8 fs duration in a white-light filament,” Opt. Lett.31(2), 274–276 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. A. Couairon, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, J. Biegert, and U. Keller, “Pulse self-compression to the single-cycle limit by filamentation in a gas with a pressure gradient,” Opt. Lett.30(19), 2657–2659 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
24. A. Couairon, J. Biegert, C. P. Hauri, W. Kornelis, F. W. Helbing, U. Keller, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Self-compression of ultra-short laser pulses down to one optical cycle by filamentation,” J. Mod. Opt.53(1–2), 75–85 (2006). [CrossRef]
25. A. Zaïr, A. Guandalini, F. Schapper, M. Holler, J. Biegert, L. Gallmann, A. Couairon, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, and U. Keller, “Spatio-temporal characterization of few-cycle pulses obtained by filamentation,” Opt. Express15(9), 5394–5404 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
26. O. G. Kosareva, N. A. Panov, D. S. Uryupina, M. V. Kurilova, A. V. Mazhorova, A. B. Savel’ev, R. V. Volkov, V. P. Kandidov, and S. L. Chin, “Optimization of a femtosecond pulse self-compression region along a filament in air,” Appl. Phys. B91(1), 35–43 (2008). [CrossRef]
27. H. S. Chakraborty, M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, “Single attosecond pulses from high harmonics driven by self-compressed filaments,” Opt. Lett.31(24), 3662–3664 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
28. M. B. Gaarde and A. Couairon, “Intensity spikes in laser filamentation: diagnostics and application,” Phys. Rev. Lett.103(4), 043901 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
29. J.-C. Diels, J. Yeak, D. Mirell, R. Fuentes, S. Rostami, D. Faccio, and P. Trapani, “Air filaments and vacuum,” Laser Phys.20(5), 1101–1106 (2010). [CrossRef]
30. W. Ettoumi, P. Béjot, Y. Petit, V. Loriot, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, B. Lavorel, J. Kasparian, and J.-P. Wolf, “Spectral dependence of purely-Kerr-driven filamentation in air and argon,” Phys. Rev. A82(3), 033826 (2010). [CrossRef]
31. V. Loriot, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, and B. Lavorel, “Measurement of high order Kerr refractive index of major air components: erratum,” Opt. Express18(3), 3011–3012 (2010). [CrossRef]
32. A. Dalgarno and A. E. Kingston, “The refractive indices and Verdet constants of the inert gases,” Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A Math. Phys. Sci.259(1298), 424–431 (1960). [CrossRef]
33. A. Couairon, E. Brambilla, T. Corti, D. Majus, O. Ramírez-Góngora, and M. Kolesik, “Practitioner’s guide to laser pulse propagation models and simulation,” Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.199(1), 5–76 (2011). [CrossRef]
34. S. Akturk, A. Couairon, M. Franco, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Spectrogram representation of pulse self compression by filamentation,” Opt. Express16(22), 17626–17636 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. B

• 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. B79(6), 673–677 (2004). [CrossRef]
• O. G. Kosareva, N. A. Panov, D. S. Uryupina, M. V. Kurilova, A. V. Mazhorova, A. B. Savel’ev, R. V. Volkov, V. P. Kandidov, and S. L. Chin, “Optimization of a femtosecond pulse self-compression region along a filament in air,” Appl. Phys. B91(1), 35–43 (2008). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys., A Mater. Sci. Process.

• J. Schwarz and J.-C. Diels, “UV filaments and their application for laser-induced lightning and high-aspect-ratio hole drilling,” Appl. Phys., A Mater. Sci. Process.77(2), 185–191 (2003).

Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.

• A. Couairon, E. Brambilla, T. Corti, D. Majus, O. Ramírez-Góngora, and M. Kolesik, “Practitioner’s guide to laser pulse propagation models and simulation,” Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.199(1), 5–76 (2011). [CrossRef]

J. Mod. Opt.

• A. Couairon, J. Biegert, C. P. Hauri, W. Kornelis, F. W. Helbing, U. Keller, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Self-compression of ultra-short laser pulses down to one optical cycle by filamentation,” J. Mod. Opt.53(1–2), 75–85 (2006). [CrossRef]

Laser Phys.

• J.-C. Diels, J. Yeak, D. Mirell, R. Fuentes, S. Rostami, D. Faccio, and P. Trapani, “Air filaments and vacuum,” Laser Phys.20(5), 1101–1106 (2010). [CrossRef]

New J. Phys.

• C. Brée, J. Bethge, S. Skupin, L. Bergé, A. Demircan, and G. Steinmeyer, “Cascaded self-compression of femtosecond pulses in filaments,” New J. Phys.12(9), 093046 (2010). [CrossRef]
• A. Mysyrowicz, A. Couairon, and U. Keller, “Self-compression of optical laser pulses by filamentation,” New J. Phys.10(2), 025023 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. Kasparian and J.-P. Wolf, “Physics and applications of atmospheric nonlinear optics and filamentation,” Opt. Express16(1), 466–493 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Zaïr, A. Guandalini, F. Schapper, M. Holler, J. Biegert, L. Gallmann, A. Couairon, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, and U. Keller, “Spatio-temporal characterization of few-cycle pulses obtained by filamentation,” Opt. Express15(9), 5394–5404 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Akturk, A. Couairon, M. Franco, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Spectrogram representation of pulse self compression by filamentation,” Opt. Express16(22), 17626–17636 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Loriot, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, and B. Lavorel, “Measurement of high order Kerr refractive index of major air components: erratum,” Opt. Express18(3), 3011–3012 (2010). [CrossRef]
• Z. Wang, J. Liu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, “Supercontinuum generation and pulse compression from gas filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses with different durations,” Opt. Express17(16), 13841–13850 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• G. Stibenz, N. Zhavoronkov, and G. Steinmeyer, “Self-compression of millijoule pulses to 7.8 fs duration in a white-light filament,” Opt. Lett.31(2), 274–276 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Couairon, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, J. Biegert, and U. Keller, “Pulse self-compression to the single-cycle limit by filamentation in a gas with a pressure gradient,” Opt. Lett.30(19), 2657–2659 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. S. Chakraborty, M. B. Gaarde, and A. Couairon, “Single attosecond pulses from high harmonics driven by self-compressed filaments,” Opt. Lett.31(24), 3662–3664 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Kolesik, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Femtosecond filamentation in air and higher-order nonlinearities,” Opt. Lett.35(15), 2550–2552 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, “Self-channeling of high-peak-power femtosecond laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett.20(1), 73–75 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• E. T. J. Nibbering, P. F. Curley, G. Grillon, B. S. Prade, M. A. Franco, F. Salin, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Conical emission from self-guided femtosecond pulses in air,” Opt. Lett.21(1), 62–65 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Z. Wang, C. Zhang, J. Liu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, “Femtosecond filamentation in argon and higher-order nonlinearities,” Opt. Lett.36(12), 2336–2338 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• O. Kosareva, J.-F. Daigle, N. Panov, T. Wang, S. Hosseini, S. Yuan, G. Roy, V. Makarov, and S. L. Chin, “Arrest of self-focusing collapse in femtosecond air filaments: higher order Kerr or plasma defocusing?” Opt. Lett.36(7), 1035–1037 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rep.

• A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, “Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media,” Phys. Rep.441(2–4), 47–189 (2007). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A

• W. Ettoumi, P. Béjot, Y. Petit, V. Loriot, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, B. Lavorel, J. Kasparian, and J.-P. Wolf, “Spectral dependence of purely-Kerr-driven filamentation in air and argon,” Phys. Rev. A82(3), 033826 (2010). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E Stat. Nonlin. Soft Matter Phys.

• S. Skupin, G. Stibenz, L. Bergé, F. Lederer, T. Sokollik, M. Schnürer, N. Zhavoronkov, and G. Steinmeyer, “Self-compression by femtosecond pulse filamentation: experiments versus numerical simulations,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Nonlin. Soft Matter Phys.74(5), 056604 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• L. Bergé, S. Skupin, and G. Steinmeyer, “Temporal self-restoration of compressed optical filaments,” Phys. Rev. Lett.101(21), 213901 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y.-H. Chen, S. Varma, T. M. Antonsen, and H. M. Milchberg, “Direct measurement of the electron density of extended femtosecond laser pulse-induced filaments,” Phys. Rev. Lett.105(21), 215005 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Béjot, E. Hertz, J. Kasparian, B. Lavorel, J.-P. Wolf, and O. Faucher, “Transition from plasma-driven to Kerr-driven laser filamentation,” Phys. Rev. Lett.106(24), 243902 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. L. Gaeta, “Catastrophic collapse of ultrashort pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett.84(16), 3582–3585 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• L. Bergé and A. Couairon, “Gas-induced solitons,” Phys. Rev. Lett.86(6), 1003–1006 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Polynkin, M. Kolesik, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Experimental tests of the new paradigm for laser filamentation in gases,” Phys. Rev. Lett.106(15), 153902 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Béjot, J. Kasparian, S. Henin, V. Loriot, T. Vieillard, E. Hertz, O. Faucher, B. Lavorel, and J.-P. Wolf, “Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases,” Phys. Rev. Lett.104(10), 103903 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. B. Gaarde and A. Couairon, “Intensity spikes in laser filamentation: diagnostics and application,” Phys. Rev. Lett.103(4), 043901 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A Math. Phys. Sci.

• A. Dalgarno and A. E. Kingston, “The refractive indices and Verdet constants of the inert gases,” Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A Math. Phys. Sci.259(1298), 424–431 (1960). [CrossRef]

Rep. Prog. Phys.

• L. Berge, S. Skupin, R. Nuter, J. Kasparian, and J.-P. Wolf, “Ultrashort filaments of light in weakly ionized, optically transparent media,” Rep. Prog. Phys.70(10), 1633–1713 (2007). [CrossRef]

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Femtosecond optical Kerr effect measurements in silicate glasses (JOSAB)
• Computational modeling of second-harmonic generation by solution of full-wave vector Maxwell equations (JOSAB)
• Polarization-state beating in four-wave-mixing experiments on ZnSe epilayers (JOSAB)
• Single attosecond soft-x-ray pulse generated with a limited laser beam (JOSAB)
• Phase sensitivity of high-order harmonic generation with few-cycle laser pulses (JOSAB)

Related Conference Papers

• Quantum computation with femtosecond photon echo
• Quantum computation with femtosecond photon echo
• Enhancement of Extreme Ultraviolet Flux from High Harmonic Generation Using Quasi-Phase Matching
• Enhancement of Extreme Ultraviolet Flux from High Harmonic Generation Using Quasi-Phase Matching
• Progress in electro-optic polymers for broadband terahertz systems
• Progress in electro-optic polymers for broadband terahertz systems
• Terahertz polaritonics