Spectrum Blueshifting of Ultrashort UV Laser Pulse Induced by Ionization of Supersonic He and Ar Gas Jets

The predominant spectral blueshifting of a sub-picosecond UV laser pulse induced by ultrafast ionization of noble gases was investigated. Spectral measurements were made at various gas densities. Typical quasi-periodic structures in the blueshifted spectrum were obtained. The observations were in connection with the so-called self-phase modulation of laser pulses in the ultrafast ionization process which was simply simulated with an ADK (Ammosov-Delone-Krainov) ionization model. Some quantitative information can be deduced from the measurements and calculations.