Open AccessLong-wavelength-infrared laser filamentation in solids in the near-single-cycle regime
Author(s) -
Shizhen Qu,
Garima C. Nagar,
Wenkai Li,
Kun Liu,
Xiao Ping Zou,
Seck Hon Luen,
Dennis Dempsey,
Kyung-Han Hong,
Qi Jie Wang,
Ying Zhang,
Bonggu Shim,
Houkun Liang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics letters/optics index
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.389456
Subject(s) - filamentation , supercontinuum , materials science , optics , laser , femtosecond , wavelength , optical parametric amplifier , infrared , pulse compression , analytical chemistry (journal) , optoelectronics , physics , optical amplifier , chemistry , telecommunications , photonic crystal fiber , radar , computer science , chromatography
We experimentally demonstrate long-wavelength-infrared (LWIR) femtosecond filamentation in solids. Systematic investigations of supercontinuum (SC) generation and self-compression of the LWIR pulses assisted by laser filamentation are performed in bulk KrS-5 and ZnSe, pumped by ${\sim}{145}\;{\rm fs}$∼145fs, 9 µm, 10 µJ pulses from an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier operating at 10 kHz of repetition rate. Multi-octave SC spectra are demonstrated in both materials. While forming stable single filament, 1.5 cycle LWIR pulses with 4.5 µJ output pulse energy are produced via soliton-like self-compression in a 5 mm thick KrS-5. The experimental results quantitatively agree well with the numerical simulation based on the unidirectional pulse propagation equation. This work shows the experimental feasibility of high-energy, near-single-cycle LWIR light bullet generation in solids.