Quantum Molecular Lensing of Femtosecond Laser Optical/Plasma Filaments

The long-range filamentary propagation of intense femtosecond pulses in atmosphere has been observed for the first time to be strongly effected by quantum rotational wave packets. A two-pulse experiment shows that a filamenting probe pulse can be steered and trapped in or destroyed by the rotational alignment wake following a pump filament.