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Plasma effect on propagation of filamented femtosecond laser pulse in fused silica
1Blonskyi I., 1Kadan V., 2Shpotyuk O., 1Pavlov I.

1Department of Photonic Processes, Institute of Physics NAS of Ukraine, 46 Prospekt Nauky, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine
2Scientific Research Company “Carat”, 202 Stryiska St., 79031 Lviv, Ukraine

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Propagation of filamented femtosecond laser pulses in fused silica is studied us-ing microscopic techniques of time-resolved femtosecond optical polarigraphy and transient absorption. Basing on the value of induced absorbance measured at the trailing edge of propagating pulse, it is concluded that the filament is refilled by energy flux from a reservoir. Light energy and plasma density in the filament core, along with the corresponding changes in refraction index, are estimated. Reshaping of the laser pulse caused by expulsion of light from the plasma-occupied area is directly observed. Transformation of axially symmetric shape of the pulse into asymmetric Z-like one is also found.

Keywords: femtosecond laser pulses, Kerr effect, filaments, plasma, fused silica

PACS:  42.65.Re, 42.65.Jx, 52.38.Dx; UDC:535.542
Ukr. J. Phys. Opt. 10 100-108 
doi: 10.3116/16091833/10/2/100/2009

Received: 17.03.2009

Анотація. Розповсюдження філаментованих фемтосекундних лазерних імпульсів в плавленому кварці вивчалося із застосуванням мікроскопічних методик фемтосе-кундної часороздільної оптичної полярографії і індукованого поглинання. Виходячи з величини наведеного поглинання, виміряного на хвостовій частині імпульсу зроб-лено висновок про наявність потоку енергії з резервуару в ядро філаменту. Зроблено оцінку енергії світла і густини плазми в ядрі філаменту. Прямо зареєстровано зміну форми лазерного імпульсу внаслідок виштовхування світла з області, зайнятою плазмою. Також зареєстровано перехід початкової форми імпульсу з осьовою симетрією в асиметричну Z-подібну форму.
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