title: Femtosecond optical vortices in air.
abstract: We examine the robustness of ultrashort optical vortices propagating freely in the atmosphere. We first approximate the stability regions of femtosecond spinning pulses as a function of their topological charge. Next, we numerically demonstrate that atmospheric optical vortices are capable of conveying high power levels in air over hundreds of meters before they break up into filaments.
authors.affiliation: Département de Physique Théorique et Appliquée, CEA/DAM Ile de France, B.P. 12, 91680 Bruyères-le-Châtel, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinçotte
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergé