Nonlinear optics in the filamentation regime : doctoral thesis accepted by the Humboldt University Berlin, Germany / Carsten Bree.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Bree, Carsten.

Series:

Springer theses.

Springer theses, 2190-5053

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nonlinear optics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (135 p.)

Edition:

1st ed. 2012.

Place of Publication:

Heidelberg [Germany] : Springer, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This thesis provides deep insights into currently controversial questions in laser filamentation, a highly complex phenomenon involving nonlinear optical effects and plasma physics. First, based on the concrete picture of a femtosecond laser beam which self-pinches its radial intensity distribution, the thesis delivers a novel explanation for the remarkable and previously unexplained phenomenon of pulse self-compression in filaments. Moreover, the work addresses the impact of a non-adiabatic change of both nonlinearity and dispersion on such an intense femtosecond pulse transiting from a gaseous dielectric material to a solid one. Finally, and probably most importantly, the author presents a simple and highly practical theoretical approach for quantitatively estimating the influence of higher-order nonlinear optical effects in optics. These results shed new light on recent experimental observations, which are still hotly debated and may completely change our understanding of filamentation, causing a paradigm change concerning the role of higher-order nonlinearities in optics.

Contents:

Theoretical Foundations of Femtosecond Filamentation

Pulse Self-Compression in Femtosecond Filaments

Saturation and Inversion of the All-Optical Kerr Effect.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Thesis (doctoral)--Humboldt University, Berlin.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1-283-63073-7

9786613943187

3-642-30930-5

OCLC:

800729345