We examine the spatiotemporal compression of energetic femtosecond laser pules within short gas-filled fibers. The study is undertaken using an advanced nonlinear pulse propagation model based on a multimode generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation that has been modified to include plasma effects. Plasma defocusing and linear propagation effects are shown to be the dominant processes within a highly dynamical mechanism that enables $\text{100-fs}$ pulses to be compressed into the few-cycle regime after $<\text{50}\text{mm}$ of propagation. Once the mechanism has been introduced, parameter spaces are explored and compressor designs suitable for performing high-field experiments in situ are presented. We finish by showing how these designs may be extended to novel wavelengths and driving pulses delivered by state-of-the-art high-repetition-rate lasers.

• Received 1 September 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.89.013819