title: Pulse splitting in the anomalous group-velocity-dispersion regime.
abstract: We investigate experimentally the role that the initial temporal profile of ultrashort laser pulses has on the self-focusing dynamics in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion (GVD) regime. We observe that pulse-splitting occurs for super-Gaussian pulses, but not for Gaussian pulses. The splitting does not occur for either pulse shape when the GVD is near-zero. These observations agree with predictions based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, and can be understood intuitively using the method of nonlinear geometrical optics.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA. ss575@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Samuel E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schrauth
authors.forename: Bonggu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Aaron D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Slepkov
authors.forename: Luat T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Vuong
authors.forename: Alexander L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gavish
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fibich