Beating Optical-Turbulence Limits Using High-Peak-Power Lasers

Long-range propagation of a laser is critical for applications such as free-space optical communication and power transmission, and is often limited by beam distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence. Through the use of high-power laser pulses, this study illustrates how a nonlinear self-channeling beam can resist such distortions. This approach yields an increase in power delivery by a factor of 7 compared to linear propagation, even in the strongest turbulence produced by a nearly 1-km-long generator built for this study. These results will have an immediate impact on potential solutions to the limitations of optical propagation in realistic atmospheric turbulence.