Self-channeling of a multi-Joule 10 µm picosecond pulse train through long distances in air

In the long-wave infrared (LWIR) range, where, due to wavelength scaling, the critical power of Kerr self-focusing P_cr in air increases to 300-400 GW, we demonstrate that without external focusing a train of picosecond CO₂ laser pulses can propagate in the form of a single several-centimeter diameter channel over hundreds of meters. The train of 10 µm pulses, for which the total energy ≥20 J is distributed over several near-terawatt picosecond pulses with a maximum power ≤2P_cr, is generated naturally during short pulse amplification in a CO₂ laser. It is observed that the high-power 10 µm beam forms a large diameter “hot gas” channel in the ambient air with a ≥ 50 ms lifetime. Simulations of the experiment show that such filamentation-free self-channeling regime has low propagation losses and can deliver multi-Joule/TW-power LWIR pulses over km-scale distances.