Abstract

A promising method for compressing pulses to only a few optical cycles utilizes a sustained balance of self- focusing and ionization in light filaments to produce extensive spectral broadening. Predictions for and demonstrations of pulse compression via filamentation have been made [1] and in recent comparisons of experiment and numerical simulations, self-compression was demonstrated without the need for additional negative dispersion compensation [2,3]. Here, we describe a different and highly robust scheme [4] in which optimization of the pulse compression involves a distinct sequential two plasma-filament structure, and where the dynamics coincide with a blue-shifted compressible tail on-axis, and a red-shifted background. We show that this spatio-spectral-shaping is dramatic in the formation of the second plasma filament.

© 2007 IEEE