Nonlinear optical polarization response and plasma generation in noble gases: Comparison of metastable-electronic-state-approach models to experiments

The nonlinear polarization response and plasma generation produced by intense optical pulses, modeled by the metastable-electronic-state approach, are verified against space-and-time resolved measurements with single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry. This first of a kind theory-experiment comparison is done in the intensity regime typical for optical filamentation, where self-focusing and plasma generation play competing roles. Excellent agreement between the theory and experiment shows that the self-focusing nonlinearity can be approximated by a single resonant state. Moreover, we demonstrate that inclusion of the post-adiabatic corrections, previously tested only in theoretic models, provides a viable description of the ionization rate in real gases.Air Force Office of Scientific Research [FA9550-13-1-0228, FA9550-16-1-0121, FA9550-16-1-0284, NSF-PHY1619582]This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Roadmap on structured waves

International audienceStructured waves are ubiquitous for all areas of wave physics, both classical and quantum, where the wavefields are inhomogeneous and cannot be approximated by a single plane wave. Even the interference of two plane waves, or of a single inhomogeneous (evanescent) wave, provides a number of nontrivial phenomena and additional functionalities as compared to a single plane wave. Complex wavefields with inhomogeneities in the amplitude, phase, and polarization, including topological––––– structures and singularities, underpin modern nanooptics and photonics, yet they are equally important, e.g. for quantum matter waves, acoustics, water waves, etc. Structured waves are crucial in optical and electron microscopy, wave propagation and scattering, imaging, communications, quantum optics, topological and non-Hermitian wave systems, quantum condensed-matter systems, optomechanics, plasmonics and metamaterials, optical and acoustic manipulation, and so forth. This Roadmap is written collectively by prominent researchers and aims to survey the role of structured waves in various areas of wave physics. Providing background, current research, and anticipating future developments, it will be of interest to a wide cross-disciplinary audience