Thermal blooming of pulsed laser radiation

Abstract
We have observed thermal blooming of focused 1.06‐μ pulsed laser radiation propagating in a weakly absorbing medium. Laser pulse lengths of 3–100 μsec were used to span the hydrodynamic time, which is defined as the pressure disturbance transit time across the laser beam. One‐dimensional eikonal models of laser propagation in the limits of pulse duration less than the hydrodynamic time and pulse duration greater than the hydrodynamic time agree well with the experimental results.

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