Measurement of delayed fluorescence in N2+ with streak camera

TL;DR

This paper reports direct measurements of N2+ delayed fluorescence using a streak camera, revealing superfluorescence signatures and spatial-temporal emission dynamics crucial for modeling and engineering air filament light emissions.

Contribution

It provides the first direct, space- and time-resolved measurements of N2+ delayed fluorescence, highlighting superfluorescence under ambient conditions.

Findings

Detection of superfluorescence signatures in N2+ emission

Variation of emission timing along the filament length

Implications for modeling and engineering air lasing

Abstract

Using a streak camera, we directly measure time- and space-resolved dynamics of N2+ emission from a self-seeded filament. We observe characteristic signatures of superfluorescence even under ambient conditions and show that the timing of the emitted light varies along the length of the filament. These effects must be taken into consideration for accurate modelling of light filaments in air, and can be exploited to engineer the temporal profile of light emission in air lasing.