Spatio-temporal dynamics of electron density in femtosecond laser microplasma of gases

Abstract

The formation and evolution of femtosecond laser plasma produced in microvolumes of gases at different pressures upon their multiply ionization by high intensity pulses of fundamental and second harmonics of a Ti:sapphire laser is studied. The interferometric technique for precise ultrafast optical diagnostics of such plasma was applied. The numerical technique of interferogram processing and reconstruction of instant spatial distribution of refractive index and free electron density in laser-induced plasma applied for this proposes is described. The spatiotemporal distribution of the refractive index and free electron density were studied with a spatial resolution of ∼1 μ m and a temporal resolution of ∼70 fs.