Stationary and stable light beam propagation in Kerr media with nonlinear absorption with controllable dissipation patterns

摘要

We report on the stationary and robust propagation of light beams with ratherarbitrary and controllable intensity and dissipation transverse patterns inself-focusing Kerr media with nonlinear absorption. When nonlinear absorptionis due to multi-photon ionization at high beam powers in transparent media suchas glasses or air, these beams can generate multiple plasma channels withtailored geometries. Their nature and spatial characteristics are discussed indetail, as well as the laws determining their spontaneous formation fromcoherent superpositions of Bessel beams of different amplitudes and topologicalcharges.