Abstract
We attempt to evaluate the applicability of the concept of the critical power for self-focusing, originally developed for intense quasi-continuous-wave (cw) beams, to the case of ultra-intense and ultrashort laser pulses propagating in air. Our results show that, unlike in the cw case, no particular value of peak pulse power can be viewed as a sharp demarcation line between linear and nonlinear propagation regimes. Our analysis further reveals the important role played by chromatic dispersion in the propagation dynamics of the laser pulse.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 053829 |
Journal | Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics |
Volume | 87 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 23 2013 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics