Anisotropy of the thermoelastic self-focusing in triglycine sulfate crystals

The results are given of the first observations of the anisotropy of filamentary damage regions due to selffocusing, which is governed by the direction of propagation of laser radiation in a crystal and not by its polarization. The self-focusing observed in triglycine sulfate crystals is attributed to the thermal self-action and to the influence of thermoelastic stresses on the refractive index of this material.