Energy shedding during nonlinear self-focusing of laser pulses

C. Travis, G.-L. Oppo, G. Norris, G. McConnell

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

With the development of lasers, self-trapping and self-focusing of intense light due to the intensity-dependent change in the refractive index of certain media was predicted [1]. For a medium with a sufficiently large, negative Kerr coefficient (n2), self-focusing of the incident light takes place when the power exceeds a critical value [2]. For cw and short pulse regimes (∼100fs) the phenomenon is well modelled by the Nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS): ∂E/∂Z = i/2 ▽2E - β/2 ∂2E/∂t2 - γf(-E-2)E (1) where E is the slowly varying envelope of the electric field, ß is the group velocity dispersion (GVD) parameter and γ is the nonlinear coefficient. f(-E-2) = -E-2 gives a cubic, and f(-E-2) = -EI2/ (1 + σ-E-2) gives a saturating nonlinearity with σ the saturation parameter. The terms on the right hand side of (1) describe respectively: diffraction, GVD and nonlinear effects. By achieving a balance between these terms, self-focusing of light takes place even beyond the diffraction limit.
Original languageEnglish
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 May 2013
Event2013 Conference on Lasers & Electro-Optics Europe & International Quantum Electronics Conference CLEO EUROPE/IQEC - Munich, Germany
Duration: 12 May 201316 May 2013

Conference

Conference2013 Conference on Lasers & Electro-Optics Europe & International Quantum Electronics Conference CLEO EUROPE/IQEC
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityMunich
Period12/05/1316/05/13

Keywords

  • diffraction
  • electric fields
  • focusing
  • group velocity dispersion
  • light
  • nonlinear equations
  • quantum electronics
  • refractive index
  • diffraction limits
  • intensity-dependent
  • Kerr coefficient
  • nonlinear coefficient
  • nonlinear effect
  • nonlinear self-focusing
  • right-hand sides
  • saturation parameters
  • electron optics

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