Controlling the propagation of high-intensity light beams as they travel through transparent media is a challenging task, but IESL scientists have now shown that a relatively new type of light beam called a ring-Airy beam can self-focus into intense light bullets that propagate over extended distances.

These highly focused, high-intensity ring-Airy beam light bullets offer a very unique level of control that cannot be achieved with equivalent Gaussian beams, making them ideal for a variety of optical applications ranging from precision materials processing and nanosurgery to attosecond pulse drivers.

This work has been recently published in Nature Communications: P. Panagiotopoulos, et al. “Sharply autofocused ring-Airy beams transforming into non-linear intense light bullets.” Nature Communications 4, 2622 (2013).

High intensity light bullets

More Information:

- Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3622

- Read full press article in Phys.org

- Group webpage