Understand the femtosecond laser filamentational propulsion

Nan Zhang; Zhijun Xu; Mingwei Wang; Weiwei Liu

doi:10.1117/12.756323

4 January 2008 Understand the femtosecond laser filamentational propulsion

Nan Zhang, Zhijun Xu, Mingwei Wang, Weiwei Liu

Proceedings Volume 6839, Nonlinear Optics: Technologies and Applications; 68390A (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.756323
Event: Photonics Asia 2007, 2007, Beijing, China

Abstract

The light filament generated by focusing 50 fs laser pulses with a single pulse energy of 0.83 mJ using a 111 cm focal length lens in air is used to propel micro glass beads. It is found that the propulsion efficiencies at various longitudinal positions of the filament did not follow the filament's plasma distribution along the laser propagation direction. However, the variation of the propulsion distances agrees well with the evolution of the measured ablation rates at different locations along the filament. It hints that it is the ablative material removal that gives the main contribution to the propulsion of the micro beads. Further numerical simulations taking into account both the nonlinear propagation of the femtosecond laser pulse and the ablation dynamics confirm our interpretation.

Citation Download Citation

Nan Zhang, Zhijun Xu, Mingwei Wang, and Weiwei Liu "Understand the femtosecond laser filamentational propulsion", Proc. SPIE 6839, Nonlinear Optics: Technologies and Applications, 68390A (4 January 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.756323

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