Numerical simulations of the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond optical pulses in gases

Arnaud Chiron (1) , Brigitte Lamouroux (2) , Rudiger Lange (2) , Jean-François Ripoche (2) , Michel A. Franco (2) , Bernard Prade (2) , Guy Bonnaud (3) , G. Riazuelo (3) , André Mysyrowicz (2)

1 Dipartimento di Fisica
2 LOA - Laboratoire d'optique appliquée
3 DPTA - Département de Physique Théorique et Appliquée

A two-dimensional axisymmetric model of the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses through dispersion-free transparent media is described. The effects of diffraction, nonlinear Kerr effect (instantaneous and retarded) and multiphoton ionisation are included. Numerical results concerning air and other gases are discussed. In particular, time self-compression of femtosecond pulses is predicted. Stable self-guided pulses are simulated, in agreement with recent experimental observations.

Keywords: filamentation; nonlinear optics

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

Arnaud Chiron, Brigitte Lamouroux, Rudiger Lange, Jean-François Ripoche, Michel A. Franco, et al.. Numerical simulations of the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond optical pulses in gases. The European Physical Journal D : Atomic, molecular, optical and plasma physics, 1999, 6 (3), pp.383-396. ⟨10.1007/s100530050322⟩. ⟨hal-00465594⟩