Cross-phase modulation between lasers in a tunnel ionizing gas

Abstract

The phase modulation of a low power long pulse probe laser beam in a rapidly tunnel ionizing gas (helium) under a relativistic short pulse laser is investigated. The relativistic pulse creates a fast increasing plasma density at its front, far ahead of the intensity peak. The probe pulse sees these changes as modulation in its phase and undergoes large frequency upshift. The spectral content of the blueshifted potion of the probe pulse is large when its intensity peak commoves with the ionization front. There are two ionization front created by first and second ionizations, and the separation between the two increases as laser propagates through the gas. The rate of density variation by first and second ionizations, however, is fairly the same and varies little as the spot size of the laser beam increases up to three times its initial value. The ionization front velocity, as well as the upshift in probe pulse frequency, is bigger for sharper laser pulse.