Self-Focused Pulse Propagation Is Mediated by Spatiotemporal Optical Vortices

M. S. Le, G. A. Hine, A. Goffin, J. P. Palastro, H. M. Milchberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We show that the dynamics of high-intensity laser pulses undergoing self-focused propagation in a nonlinear medium can be understood in terms of the topological constraints imposed by the formation and evolution of spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs). STOVs are born from pointlike phase defects on the sides of the pulse nucleated by spatiotemporal phase shear. These defects grow into closed loops of spatiotemporal vorticity that initially exclude the pulse propagation axis, but then reconnect to form a pair of toroidal vortex rings that wrap around it. STOVs constrain the intrapulse flow of electromagnetic energy, controlling the focusing-defocusing cycles and pulse splitting inherent to nonlinear pulse propagation. We illustrate this in two widely studied but very different regimes, relativistic self-focusing in plasma and nonrelativistic self-focusing in gas, demonstrating that STOVs mediate nonlinear propagation irrespective of the detailed physics.

Original languageEnglish
Article number053803
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume133
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Self-Focused Pulse Propagation Is Mediated by Spatiotemporal Optical Vortices'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this