Nonlinear optical polarization response and plasma generation in noble gases: Comparison of metastable-electronic-state-approach models to experiments

The nonlinear polarization response and plasma generation produced by intense optical pulses, modeled by the metastable-electronic-state approach, are verified against space-and-time resolved measurements with single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry. This first of a kind theory-experiment comparison is done in the intensity regime typical for optical filamentation, where self-focusing and plasma generation play competing roles. Excellent agreement between the theory and experiment shows that the self-focusing nonlinearity can be approximated by a single resonant state. Moreover, we demonstrate that inclusion of the post-adiabatic corrections, previously tested only in theoretic models, provides a viable description of the ionization rate in real gases.Air Force Office of Scientific Research [FA9550-13-1-0228, FA9550-16-1-0121, FA9550-16-1-0284, NSF-PHY1619582]This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu