Ionization induced self-guiding of femtosecond laser pulses in gases

It is shown that regimes of laser-gas interaction exist, characterized by the ionization saturation, where the laser pulse is partially channeled over several Rayleigh lengths. The process of self-channeling driven by the gas ionization has been found under tunnelling ionization conditions and is accompanied by the leakage of part of the laser pulse energy. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.