Spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics of plasma-induced self-phase modulation of a subpicosecond excimer laser pulse

S. P. Le Blanc; Roland A. Sauerbrey; Stuart C. Rae; K. Burnett

doi:10.1117/12.175871

16 May 1994 Spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics of plasma-induced self-phase modulation of a subpicosecond excimer laser pulse

S. P. Le Blanc, Roland A. Sauerbrey, Stuart C. Rae, K. Burnett

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2116, Generation, Amplification, and Measurement of Ultrashort Laser Pulses; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.175871
Event: OE/LASE '94, 1994, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Plasma-induced self-phase modulation and cross-phase modulation in rare gases and air have been investigated using a femtosecond KrF excimer laser focused to peak intensities in the range 10¹⁴ - 10¹⁵ W cm^-2. Spectral blueshifts of up to 2 nm are observed in the KrF laser spectrum which can be qualitatively modeled by assuming tunneling ionization and one-dimensional pulse propagation. When the degree of ionization Z << 1, pump-probe experiments and theoretical results indicate that field ionization occurs over a time equal to about half the pump pulse width. The pump-probe experiments also show that spatial defocusing causes the spectral blueshifting to be spatially dependent, in agreement with a two dimensional pulse propagation model. Plasma-induced cross-phase modulation can also be used to characterize the pulse width and chirp of an ultrashort laser pulse.

Citation Download Citation

S. P. Le Blanc, Roland A. Sauerbrey, Stuart C. Rae, and K. Burnett "Spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics of plasma-induced self-phase modulation of a subpicosecond excimer laser pulse", Proc. SPIE 2116, Generation, Amplification, and Measurement of Ultrashort Laser Pulses, (16 May 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.175871

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