Ultrafast white-light continuum generation and self-focusing in transparent condensed media

We report an investigation of white-light continuum generation and self-foc using by 140-fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses in extended transparent media. It is found that continuum generation is triggered by self-focusing and that b oth phenomena depend on the medium's bandgap. There is a bandgap threshold for continuum generation. Above that threshold the continuum's width increa ses with increasing bandgap. Furthermore, the beam's self-focal diameter is discontinuous across the threshold. To explain the observations a mechanis m is proposed that involves multiphoton excitation of electrons into the co nduction band at the self-focus; the generated free electrons cause spectra l superbroadening and limit the self-focal diameter. The continuum beam's s urprisingly low divergence is then investigated and explained in terms of a Kerr lensing effect. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(99)00 204-0] OCIS codes: 320.7110, 320.7120, 320.2250, 190.5940, 190.4180, 190.26 20.