Propagation of Laser Pulses

Ultrashort intense laser pulses can propagate in air or other materials over large distances in so-called laser filaments. The filaments are mainly formed due to a balance of two nonlinear effects, the self-focusing of the pulse due to the optical Kerr effect and its defocusing from the plasma, which is generated by the laser pulse inside the material. Results from numerical simulations demonstrate the complex dynamics of the propagation of a laser pulse in air. Laser filaments can be potentially used for lightning control and for an analysis of pollution in the atmosphere.