Related papers: Direct observation of laser guided corona discharg…
Electric currents circulating between charged clouds and the earth surface during lightning discharges are responsible for considerable damages and casualties. It is therefore important to develop better protection methods in addition to…
We investigate the interaction of narrow plasma channels formed in the filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses, with a DC high voltage. The laser filaments prevent electrical arcs by triggering corona that neutralize the high-voltage…
We investigate experimentally the plasma dynamics of a centimeter-scale, laser filamentation-guided spark discharge. Using electrical and optical diagnostics to study monopolar discharges with varying current pulses we show that plasma…
We investigate the influence of ultrashort laser filaments on high-voltage discharges and spark-free unloading at various repetition rates and wind conditions. For electric fields well below, close to and above the threshold for discharges,…
The femtosecond laser filamentation is the result of the dynamic interplay between plasma self-focusing and defocusing generated by the multiphoton/tunnel ionization of air molecules. This equilibrium allows the filament to stably propagate…
The distant projection of high peak and average power laser beams in the atmosphere is a longstanding goal with a wide range of applications. Our early proof-of-principle experiments [Phys. Rev. X 4, 011027 (2014)] presented one solution to…
We experimentally demonstrate optical control of filamentation that occurs during propagation of intense, ultrashort laser pulses through crystals like barium fluoride and sapphire. Control is exercised by rotating the plane of polarization…
Accidental exposure to overdose ionizing radiation will inevitably lead to severe biological damage, thus detecting and localizing radiation is essential. Traditional measurement techniques are generally restricted to the limited detection…
We investigate ablation experiments performed by laser-plasma-filament guided electrical discharges at high-voltages of up to 145 kV. The guiding was accomplished via fs-laser-generated plasma filaments across a gap of 201 mm of air onto…
We use the Low Frequency ARray (LOFAR) to probe the dynamics of the stepping process of negatively-charged plasma channels (negative leaders) in a lightning discharge. We observe that at each step of a leader, multiple pulses of VHF…
The emission characteristics of intense laser driven protons are controlled using ultra-strong (of the order of 10^9 V/m) electrostatic fields varying on a few ps timescale. The field structures are achieved by exploiting the high potential…
The electric conductivity, HV discharge triggering and guiding capabilities of filaments at 3.9 micrometer in air are investigated in the perspective of lightning control applications, and compared to near-IR filaments in identical…
We discover long-lived (microsecond-scale) optical waveguiding in the wake of atmospheric laser filaments. We also observe the formation and then outward propagation of the consequent sound wave. These effects may be used for remote…
We developed a new technique for registration of the far solar corona from ground-based observations at distances comparable to those obtained from space coronagraphs. It makes possible visualization of fine details of studied objects…
As a future charge management light source, UV light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) offer far superior performance in a range of metrics compared to the mercury lamps used in the past. As part of a qualification program a number of short…
Fundamental to many applications of laser pulses in science and technology is an extended interaction length with matter that significantly exceeds the distance over which the pulse would normally diffract and transversely spread. At low…
We report on a method to experimentally generate ionic wind by coupling an external high voltage electric field with an intense femtosecond laser induced air plasma filament. The measured ionic wind velocity could be as strong as >4 m/s. It…
Filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses in the atmosphere offers unique opportunities for long-range transmission of high-power laser radiation and standoff detection. With the critical power of self-focusing scaling as the laser…
Stellar coronae have been invoked to explain the apparently extragalactic dispersion measures observed in fast radio bursts. This paper demonstrates that the suggested plasma densities would lead to deviations from the standard dispersion…
We demonstrate that femtosecond filaments can set up an extended and robust thermal waveguide structure in air with a lifetime of several milliseconds, making possible the very long range guiding and distant projection of high energy laser…