Using the self-filtering property of a femtosecond filament to improve second harmonic generation

Abstract:

In this paper we demonstrate the use of NIR femtosecond filament for improving the generation of second harmonic using a type I BBO crystal. Using this method the beam propagation factor (M2) of the second harmonic was improved significantly; which led to enhancement of the attainable SH intensity by up to two orders of magnitude. This method can be beneficial for applications demanding high intensities, small spot size or long interaction lengths.