Transverse Localization of Light in 1D Self-Focusing Parity-Time-Symmetric Optical Lattices

Transverse localization of light is investigated numerically in a serf-focusing Kerr medium with a complex-valued optical lattice featuring parity-time symmetry. It is demonstrated that the light localization exists below the threshold of the spatial frequency of the lattices, and is further enhanced with the decrease of the spatial frequency. The influence of defects on the transverse localization is also discussed in detail. The results show that both positive and negative defects in such a medium would enhance the localization.

Characteristics of Self-Focusing Dueto the Pondermotive Forcein Laser-Plasma Interaction

The Max’s equation of self-focusing in laser-plasma interaction due to the pondermotive force has been discussed and its physical meaning of the assumption has been predicted. The characteristics of selffocusing due to the pondermotive force with different initial situations have been analyzed through the numerical calculation.

Self-compression of femtosecond pulses in argon with a power close to the self-focusing threshold

Self-compression of femtosecond pulses in noble gases with an input power close to the self-focusing threshold has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is demonstrated that either multiphoton ionization （MPI） or space-time focusing and self-steepening effects can induce pulse shortening, but they predominate at different beam intensities during the propagation. The latter effects play a key role in the final pulse self-compression. By choosing an appropriate focusing parameter, action distance of the space-time focusing and self-steepening effects can be lengthened, which can promote a shock pulse structure with a duration as short as two optical cycles. It is also found that, for our calculation cases in which an input pulse power is close to the self-focusing threshold, either group velocity dispersion （GVD） or multiphoton absorption （MPA） has a negligible influence on pulse characteristics in the propagation process.

Self-focusing of partially coherent beams based on complex screen and split-step Fourier transform methods

The self-focusing phenomenon of partially coherent beams(PCBs)was simulated using the complex screen method combined with the split-step Fourier method to solve the nonlinear Schrödinger equation.Considering the propagation of Gaussian Schell-model beams in a nonlinear medium as an example,the suppression effects of intensity,propagation distance,and spatial coherence on small-scale self-focusing were demonstrated.Simulations of overall and small-scale self-focusing using this method were compared with the existing literature to demonstrate the validity of the method.This method can numerically analyze the degree of self-focusing in PCBs and advance the study of their nonlinearity.

Study of self-focusing in underwater waveguide by time reversal method

Acoustic wave time reversal self-focusing in underwater waveguide is studied. The acoustic wave time reversal is theoretically and experimentally investigated in a half-infinite fluid medium and a shallow fluid layer placed on a hard half-infinite solid medium, respectively. The ray approach method is adopted to study the far field of the acoustic field in theory, and the ultrasonic experiments have been carried out in laboratory to model the underwater waveguide. It is shown by theoretical and experimental results that the focusing gain can be improved by 12 dB or more.

The effect of self-focusing on laser space-debris cleaning

A ground-based laser system for space-debris cleaning will use powerful laser pulses that can self-focus while propagating through the atmosphere.We demonstrate that for the relevant laser parameters,this self-focusing can noticeably decrease the laser intensity on the target.We show that the detrimental effect can be,to a great extent,compensated for by applying the optimal initial beam defocusing.The effect of laser elevation on the system performance is discussed.

Model of small-scale self-focusing and spatial noise in high power laser driver

A linearization model was used to analyze the laser beam propagation in a high power laser driver and the influence of the small-scale self-focusing and spatial phase noise on beam quality in disk amplifiers. The quantitative relations between intensities of spatial phase noise, B-integral, and beam intensity contrast in near field are given explicitly. A spectrum specification of phase noise has been obtained by setting a limit to the contrast of an output beam.

Self-focusing of acoustical beam in solid by time-reversal processing

A study on the self-adaptive focusing of acoustical beam in the solid by Time Reversal (TR) method is presented. The theoretical analyses and experiments show that TR can compensate the path difference of sound pulse in solid, and generate the self-focusing of longitudinal and shear waves at the same time. The experimental values of the focusing processing gain agree with the theoretical values.

Relativistic Self-Focusing of Hermite-cosine-Gaussian Laser Beam in Collisionless Plasma with Exponential Density Transition

This work reveals an exploration of self-focusing of Hermite-cosine-Gaussian laser beam in a collisionless plasma under relativistic nonlinearity. Self-focusing along with self-trapping of Hermite-cosine-Gaussian laser beam are analyzed for different values of laser intensity, plasma density, and decentered parameters. Mathematical analysis displays that these parameters play a major role in achieving the stronger and earlier self-focusing. Further, a comparative study between self-focusing of Hermite-cosine-Gaussian laser beam with and without exponential density ramp profile is introduced. Plasma density transition with exponential profile is found to be more effective in order to have stronger self-focusing. The present analysis may lead to very useful applications in the field of efficient harmonic generation, laser driven fusion etc.

Condition of laser pulse width for relativistic self-focusing

THE stability propagation and guiding of intense short laser pulse in plasmas is directly associated with a number of laser-plasma interaction phenomena, i.e. the plasma-based accelerator, the generation of radiation source of coherent shortwave length, and some problem of fast ignitor scenario (FIS) in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). It has given rise to a good deal of attention for the stability propagation and enhancing the propagation length of laser pulse.

Observation of two-times self-focusing of femtosecond laser beam in ZnO crystal by two-photon luminescence

By ‘‘seeing" the green two-photon luminescence, two separate focusing points are observed on the propagation axis of a converging femtosecond laser beam in a ZnO single crystal rod. It is found that the selffocusing effect makes a significant contribution to the formation of the first focusing point, while the second focusing point is caused by self-refocusing. The position of the first focusing point is in good agreement with the value predicted by a model developed by Chin and his co-workers. These experimental findings could be the unprecedented evidence for the self-focusing and refocusing effect of the femtosecond laser filament propagation in nonlinear media.

Experimental research of pulsed chirp effect on the small-scale self-focusing

The chirped optical pulses undergoing self-focusing and splitting into multiple filamentation passing through a Kerr medium-carbon disulfide (CS2) are studied experimentally and numerically. At the particular spatial position, modulation growth takes place from the experimental result. The process of modulation growth with different pulsed chirp is analyzed. It is found that with the pulsed chirp in-creasing (equal to the pulse width increasing), modulation growth of chirped opti-cal pulses is delayed and the average input power also increases. The simulation results are in agreement with the experimental results.

Density Transition Based Self-Focusing of cosh-Gaussian Laser Beam in Plasma with Linear Absorption

Density transition based self-focusing of cosh-Gaussian laser beam in plasma with linear absorption has been studied. The field distribution in the plasma is expressed in terms of beam width parameter, decentered parameter,and linear absorption coefficient. The differential equation for the beam width parameter is solved by following Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin(WKB) and paraxial approximation through parabolic wave equation approach. The behaviour of beam width parameter with dimensionless distance of propagation is studied at optimum values of plasma density,decentered parameter and with different absorption levels in the medium. The results reveal that these parameters can affect the self-focusing significantly.

Self-Focusing of Quadruple Gaussian Laser Beam in an Inhomogenous Magnetized Plasma with Ponderomotive Non-Linearity:Effect of Linear Absorption

The propagation of quadruple Gaussian laser beam in a plasma characterized by axial inhomogeneity and nonlinearity due to ponderomotive force in the paraxial ray approximation is investigated.An appropriate expression for the nonlinear dielectric constant has been developed in the presence of external magnetic field,with linear absorption and due to saturation effects for arbitrary large intensity.The effects of different types of plasma axial inhomogeneities on self-focusing of laser beam have been studied with the typical laser and plasma parameters.Self-focusing of quadruple Gaussian laser beam in the presence of externally applied magnetic field and saturating parameter is found significantly improved in the case of extraordinary mode.Our results reveal that initially converging beam shows oscillatory convergence whereas initially diverging beam shows oscillatory divergence.The beam is more focussed at lower intensity in both cases viz.extraordinary and ordinary mode.

Correlation-induced self-focusing and self-shaping effect of a partially coherent beam

A new specially correlated partially coherent beam named nonuniform multi-Gaussian correlated(NMGC) partially coherent beam is introduced. The correlation functions of such beam in x and y directions are different from each other,i.e., nonuniform correlation function in one direction and multi-Gaussian correlated Schell-model function in the other direction. The propagation properties of an NMGC partially coherent beam in free pace are demonstrated, and we find that the intensity distribution of such beam exhibits self-focusing and self-shifting effect in one direction and self-shaping effect in the other direction on propagation. The correlation-induced self-focusing and self-shaping effect will be useful in some applications, where the high power and shaped laser is required, such as material thermal processing and laser carving.

Small-scale self-focusing of divergent beam in nonlinear media with loss

Bespalov-Talanov theory on small-scale self-focusing is extended to include medium loss for a divergent beam. Gain spectrum of small-scale perturbation is presented in integral form, and based on the derived equations we find that the cutoff spatial frequency for perturbation keeps a constant value. The larger the medium loss is, the smaller the fastest growing frequency and the maximum gain of perturbation with defined propagation distance are. For a given medium loss the maximum gain of perturbation becomes larger, while the fastest growing frequency becomes smaller as the propagation distance becomes longer. Furthermore, physical explanations for the appearance of these features are given.

Relativistic toroidal light solitons in plasma

In the laser–plasma interaction,relativistic soliton formation is an interesting nonlinear phenomenon and important light mode convection in plasmas.Here,it is shown by threedimensional particle-in-cell simulations that relativistic toroidal solitons,composed of intense light self-consistently trapped in toroidal plasma cavities,can be produced by azimuthallypolarized relativistic laser pulses in a near-critical underdense plasma.

Simulation analysis of evolution of hot-images induced by coplanar multi-scatterers

Based on the diffraction theory model for hot-image formation, the evolution of hot-images induced by multiscatterers located in the same plane perpendicular to the propagation axis is numerically simulated. The simulation results show that hot-images induced by coplanar multi-scatterers are also coplanar no matter whether they exist simultaneously or severally. However, if they exist simultaneously the peak intensity of the primary hot-images is weaker than if they exist severally. The unequal competition for energy between the scattered beams from the scatterers leads to the fact that part of the corresponding hot-images are relatively enhanced and the others are restrained. The results show that the hot-images of certain scatterers become stronger when any of these parameters, i.e. amplitude modulation coefficient, phase modulation coefficient and size of the surrounding scatterer, decrease.

The propagation dynamics of ultraviolet light filament with Rayleigh scattering in air

In this paper we present for the first time the effects of Rayleigh scattering on the long distance propagation of ultraviolet （UV） light filament in air based on the stationary analysis. The simulation results show that the effects of Rayleigh scattering on the propagation of UV laser filaments may not be ignored. These influences are slightly dependent on the laser wavelength. We also compare the UV filament propagations at different input powers in the presence and the absence of the Rayleigh scattering and discuss the mechanisms of power loss and beam defocusing. In the absence of Rayleigh scattering, the filament propagation is determined by the oscillating behaviour of the beam size. In the presence of the scattering, the propagation lengths of filament are close to each other at different initial powers and determined by the Rayleigh scattering.

Intense laser beam guiding in self-induced electron cavitation channel in underdense plasmas

In underdense plasmas, the transverse ponderomotive force of an intense laser beam with Ganssian transverse profile expels electrons radially, and it can lead to an electron cavitstion. An improved cavitation model with charge conservation constraint is applied to the determination of the width of the electron cavity. The envelope equation for spot size derived by using source-dependent expansion method is extended to including the electron cavity. The condition for self-guiding is given and illuminated by an effective potential for the laser spot size. The effects of the laser power, plasma density and energy dissipation on the self-guiding condition are discussed.