Propagation of an Intense Light Beam in a Nonlinear Medium

Abstract

Propagation of an intense light beam in a nonlinear medium with dielectric constant of the form $\ensuremath{\epsilon}={\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{0}+{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}{|E|}^{2}$ is studied systematically. In particular, the conditions and the characteristic quantities for the filament formation, self-focusing, and trapping of a beam are discussed.