Conclusion and outlook

In conclusion, the plasma generated by femtosecond laser filaments has low resistance and is capable of conducting a large current, either direct or alternating, for at least one second. These properties hold great promise for applications such as non-contact current sensing.

Clearly, we're still a long way from industrial applications. Several aspects of the phenomenon still need to be studied, such as the shape and nature of the electrodes, wear due to the arc, and the size of the on-board laser. However, it should be noted that, on the one hand, a laser of around 100 gigawatts should be sufficient to induce the discharge and, on the other, that these lasers are now much more compact (a few cubic metres). So there's no doubt that in a few years' time, the compactness of femtosecond laser chains will make it possible to use the properties of filaments in all kinds...