Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases

P. Béjot, J. Kasparian, S. Henin +6

We show that higher-order nonlinear indices ($n_4$, $n_6$, $n_8$, $n_{10}$) provide the main defocusing contribution to self-channeling of ultrashort laser pulses in air and Argon…