We experimentally demonstrate that the transmission of a 1030 nm, 1.3 ps laser beam of 100 mJ energy through fog increases when its repetition rate increases to the kHz range. Due to the efficient energy deposition by the laser filaments in the air, a shockwave ejects the fog droplets from a substantial volume of the beam, at a moderate energy cost. This process opens prospects for applications requiring the transmission of laser beams through fogs and clouds.

We investigate the pulse partitioning of a 6.3-mJ, 450-fs pulse at 1030 nm to produce plasma channels. At such moderate energies, splitting the energy into several subpulses reduces the ionization efficiency and thus does not extend the plasma lifetime. We numerically show that when sufficient energy to produce multifilamentation is available, splitting the pulse temporally in a pulse train increases the gas temperature compared to a filament bundle of the same energy. This could improve the mean free path of the free electrons, therefore enhancing the efficiency of discharge triggering.

We investigate the interaction of narrow plasma channels formed in the filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses, with a DC high voltage. The laser filaments prevent electrical arcs by triggering corona that neutralize the high-voltage electrodes. This phenomenon, that relies on the electric field modulation and free electron release around the filament, opens new prospects to lightning and over-voltage mitigation. *

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We measured the chemical composition and the size distribution of aerosols generated by femtosecond-Terawatt laser pulses in the atmosphere using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). We show that nitric acid condenses in the form of ammonium nitrate, and that oxidized volatile organics also contribute to particle growth. These two components account for two thirds and one third, respectively, of the dry laser-condensed mass. They appear in two different modes centred at 380 nm and 150 nm. The number concentration of particles between 25 and 300 nm increases by a factor of 15. Pre-existing water droplets strongly increase the oxidative properties of the laser-activated atmosphere, substantially enhancing the condensation of organics under laser illumination.