X and Y waves in the spatiotemporal Kerr dynamics of a self-guided light beam
arXiv:0805.3316 · doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2008.10.039
Abstract
The nonlinear stage of development of the spatiotemporal instability of the monochromatic Townes beam in a medium with self-focusing nonlinearity and normal dispersion is studied by analytical and numerical means. Small perturbations to the self-guided light beam are found to grow into two giant, splitting Y pulses featuring shock fronts on opposite sides. Each shocking pulse amplifies a co-propagating X wave, or dispersion- and diffraction-free linear wave mode of the medium, with super-broad spectrum.
9 pages, 9 figures