Control of the Onset of Filamentation in Condensed Media

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that rotating the polarization plane of ultrashort laser pulses can control filamentation onset in condensed media like BaF₂ and sapphire, with visualization via fluorescence and white light analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control filamentation onset by polarization rotation and visualizes this process through fluorescence and spectral analysis.

Findings

Filamentation onset can be controlled by polarization rotation.

Filamentation visualized via fluorescence in BaF₂.

White light spectral and spatial properties are affected by polarization.

Abstract

Propagation of intense, ultrashort laser pulses through condensed media like crystals of BaF$_2$ and sapphire results in the formation of filaments. We demonstrate that the onset of filamentation may be controlled by rotating the plane of polarization of incident light. We directly visualize filamentation in BaF_2 via six-photon absorption-induced fluorescence and, concomitantly, by probing the spectral and spatial properties of white light that is generated.