Fluorescence and lasing of neutral nitrogen molecules inside femtosecond laser filaments in air: mechanism and applications.

High power femtosecond laser pulses launched in air undergo nonlinear filamentary propagation, featuring a bright and thin plasma channel in air with its length much longer than the Rayleigh length of the laser beam. During this nonlinear propagation process, the laser pulses experience rich and complex spatial and temporal transformations. With its applications ranging from supercontinuum generation, laser pulse compression, remote sensing to triggering of lightning, the underlying physical mechanism of filamentation has been intensively studied.

Laguerre-Gaussian laser filamentation for the control of electric discharges in air.

We study the use of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) femtosecond laser filament with multi GW peak power to guide electric sparks in the atmosphere. We demonstrate that an LG beam with a vortex phase or with 6 azimuthal phase steps generates a filamentation regime, where a longer and more uniform energy deposition is produced compared to a normal beam with a flat phase. Such filaments can guide electric discharges over much longer distances.

Long distance laser filamentation using Yb:YAG kHz laser.

In the framework of the Laser Lightning Rod project, whose aim is to show that laser-induced filaments can guide lightning discharges over considerable distances, we study over a distance of 140 m the filaments created by a laser system with J-range pulses of 1 ps duration at 1 kHz repetition rate. We investigate the spatial evolution of the multiple filamentation regime using the fundamental beam at 1030 nm or using combination with the second and third harmonics. The measurements were made using both a collimated beam and a loosely focused beam.

Laser-guided lightning.

Lightning discharges between charged clouds and the Earth's surface are responsible for considerable damages and casualties. It is therefore important to develop better protection methods in addition to the traditional Franklin rod. Here we present the first demonstration that laser-induced filaments-formed in the sky by short and intense laser pulses-can guide lightning discharges over considerable distances.

Spectral splitting of the lasing emission of nitrogen ions pumped by 800-nm femtosecond laser pulses.

We report on a spectral splitting effect of the cavity-less lasing emission of nitrogen ions at 391.4 nm pumped by 800-nm femtosecond laser pulses. It was found that with the increase of the nitrogen gas pressure and pump pulse energy, both R and P branches experience spectral splitting.