Centurion, Martin and Pu, Ye and Psaltis, Demetri (2006) Holographic capture of femtosecond pulse propagation. Journal of Applied Physics, 100 (6). Art. No. 063104. ISSN 0021-8979. doi:10.1063/1.2345469. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:CENjap06
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Abstract
We have implemented a holographic system to study the propagation of femtosecond laser pulses with high temporal (150 fs) and spatial resolutions (4 µm). The phase information in the holograms allows us to reconstruct both positive and negative index changes due to the Kerr nonlinearity (positive) and plasma formation (negative), and to reconstruct three-dimensional structure. Dramatic differences were observed in the interaction of focused femtosecond pulses with air, water, and carbon disulfide. The air becomes ionized in the focal region, while in water long plasma filaments appear before the light reaches a tight focus. In contrast, in carbon disulfide the optical beam breaks up into multiple filaments but no plasma is measured. We explain these different propagation regimes in terms of the different nonlinear material properties.
Item Type: | Article | ||||||
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Additional Information: | ©2006 American Institute of Physics (Received 6 March 2006; accepted 8 July 2006; published online 22 September 2006) We would like to thank Zhiwen Liu and Theodor W. Hänsch for helpful discussions. This research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Center for Optofluidic Integration. Funding for one of us (M.C.) was provided through the Center for the Physics of Information as part of the Caltech Information Science and Technology initiative. | ||||||
Subject Keywords: | holography; high-speed optical techniques; image reconstruction; refractive index; optical Kerr effect; plasma production by laser; photoionisation; plasma light propagation | ||||||
Issue or Number: | 6 | ||||||
DOI: | 10.1063/1.2345469 | ||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:CENjap06 | ||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:CENjap06 | ||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||
ID Code: | 5509 | ||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||
Deposited By: | Archive Administrator | ||||||
Deposited On: | 20 Oct 2006 | ||||||
Last Modified: | 08 Nov 2021 20:26 |
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