Abstract

The understanding of the effects occuring during propagation of high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses through nonlinear transparent media is of utmost importance for careful transport of the laser beam to the targets and application of these pulses in experiments such as X-ray generation in solids [1] and high-harmonic generation in gases [2]. In the weak perturbation regime the nonlinear index of refraction may cause self-focusing and self-phase modulation of the laser pulses. At higher intensities the onset of filamentation of a laser beam through nonlinear media may be induced, thereby facilitating channeling through laser-induced plasmas [3].

© 1994 Optical Society of America