Abstract

In this paper, we report direct generation of an intense and the largest spectral-coverage continuum ranging from IR to VUV in a gas medium. The super-wide-band coherent light has been generated by strong self-phase modulation in a multi-channel self-trap which is generated by a spatial modulation and self-focusing of an intense femto-second laser pulse in a gas medium. In these channels, laser intensity is spatially confined and is maintained for a long interaction length (typically several meters length), like as an optical fiber, so that very strong self phase modulation and a flat-top spectral modulation can be expected.

© 1995 IEEE