Measurements of ultrafast ionisation dynamics from intense laser interactions with gas-jets,

Interaction of an intense, ultrashort laser pulse with a gas-jet target is investigated through femtosecond optical interferometry to study the dynamics of ionization of the gas. Experimental results are presented in which the propagation of the pulse in the gas and the consequent plasma formation is followed step by step with high temporal and spatial resolution. We demonstrate that, combining the phase shift with the measurable depletion of fringe visibility associated with the transient change of refractive index in the ionizing region and taking into account probe travel time can provide direct information on gas ionization dynamics.