Nonlinear propagation and filamentation of intense Airy beams in transparent media

  • Arnaud Couairon
  • , Antonio Lotti
  • , Paris Panagiotopoulos
  • , Daryoush Abdollahpour
  • , Daniele Faccio
  • , Dimitrios G. Papazoglou
  • , Stelios Tzortzakis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

We investigate the nonlinear propagation of intense Airy beams forming filaments in transparent media. We demonstrate the existence of stationary nonlinear Airy beams in a planar geometry. These beams preserve the intensity profile and the transverse acceleration of the Airy peak. We show that stationary propagation is sustained by a continuous energy flux to the main Airy lobe from its neighbors. For powers in the main Airy lobe exceeding a certain threshold, this stationary propagation regime becomes unstable. We extend our results to the 2-dimensional case: Airy beams with high powers in the main lobe reshape into a multifilamentary pattern induced by Kerr and multiphoton nonlinearities. The nucleation of new filaments and their interaction, affects the acceleration of the main Airy lobes. Experiments performed in water corroborate the existence of these two regimes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNonlinear Optics and Applications VI
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jun 2012
EventNonlinear Optics and Applications VI - Brussels, Belgium
Duration: 16 Apr 201218 Apr 2012

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume8434
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Conference

ConferenceNonlinear Optics and Applications VI
Country/TerritoryBelgium
CityBrussels
Period16/04/1218/04/12

Keywords

  • Airy beams
  • Ultrashort laser pulse filamentation

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