Contribution of nitrogen atoms and ions to the luminescence emission during femotosecond filamentation in air

Abstract

During femtosecond filamentation in air, nitrogen molecules and corresponding molecular ions undergo dissociation due to the high intensity of laser pulses, generating nitrogen atoms and atomic ions. The generated atoms and atomic ions emit luminescence in the UV range, which superposes on those emissions for the neutral and ionic nitrogen molecules. Here we report on a significant difference between the emission behavior of the 391-nm line and the other spectral lines under different pump laser polarizations. We attribute this difference to the contribution of the atomic ions to the luminescence emission around 391 nm. The difference becomes more evident in tightly focusing cases, providing an indirect but effective evidence for the dissociation of nitrogen molecular ions.