Multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum generation through high-energy laser filaments in YAG and ZnSe pumped by a 2.4 μm femtosecond Cr:ZnSe laser

Abstract We present experimental and numerical investigations of high-energy mid-infrared filamentation with multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum generation (SCG), pumped by a 2.4 μm, 250 fs Cr:ZnSe chirped-pulse laser amplifier. The SCG is demonstrated in both anomalous normal dispersion regimes YAG polycrystalline ZnSe, respectively. formation stable robust single filaments along the visible-to-mid-infrared obtained pump energy up to 100 μJ 6-mm-long medium. To best authors’ knowledge, this highest-energy from filament solid. On other hand, even-harmonic based on random quasi-phase matching (RQPM) are simultaneously observed ZnSe medium 15 μJ. simulations unidirectional pulse propagation equation RQPM show excellent agreement measured generation. They also reveal temporal structure filaments, such as soliton-like self-compression broadening ZnSe.