Formation of a conducting channel in air by self-guided femtosecond laser pulses

Phys Rev E Stat Phys Plasmas Fluids Relat Interdiscip Topics. 1999 Oct;60(4 Pt A):R3505-7. doi: 10.1103/physreve.60.r3505.

Abstract

We report a drastic reduction of air resistivity following the passage of a self-guided femtosecond pulse from a Ti:sapphire laser system at 800 nm with energies per pulse between 1 and 14 mJ and a pulse duration of 120 fs. Connected plasma filaments with a length that can exceed 150 cm are created by these pulses. The presence of a conducting plasma channel results from multiphoton ionization of air molecules in the filament core.