2022/09/07 by Layton A. Hall, Hall, Layton A., Miguel A. Romer +9 · 4 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies #FOS: Physical sciences #Optical Wireless Communication Technologies #Optics (physics.optics) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2209.03309
openalex publication_date 2022/09/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We report on the diffraction-free propagation of space-time wave packets (STWPs) -- a class of propagation-invariant pulsed beams -- for ∼ 1 km in an open-air laser range in a low-turbulence scenario. Making use of ≈ 100-fs pulses (bandwidth ∼ 25 nm) at a wavelength of ≈ 1 μm, we construct an STWP with a transverse width of ≈ 2 mm that expands to ≈ 3 mm after ∼ 500 m, and another that expands from ≈ 8 mm to ≈ 10 mm after 1 km. The propagation of the STWPs is compared to Gaussian wave packets of the same transverse spatial width and bandwidth. We establish a theoretical model that accounts for the significant factors limiting the STWP propagation distance and suggests the path to further extending this distance.