Multiple filamentation and supercontinuum emission from tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses in air

Abstract

Filamentation characteristics of tightly focused 45 fs laser pulses in air are investigated using transverse imaging in the power range of 20-200 GW. The effect of linear and circular polarized light pulses on the onset and spatial evolution of filamentary substructures and the associated supercontinuum emission is studied.