LAUSR

Abstract A formalism describing the propagation of short duration (sub-picosecond) Gaussian pulses in a preformed axially non-uniform collisionless plasma has been established; a plasma inhomogeneity consistent with the gas jet induced plasma as super-Gaussian (flat-top) profile has been considered herein. In order to specify the pulse dynamics using nonlinear Schrodinger wave equation (NLSE) in paraxial regime, a set of coupled equations characterizing the transverse focusing (in space) and temporal compression (in time) of the laser pulse has been derived, and further solved numerically to investigate the propagation characteristics of the pulse as it advances through gas jet induced plasma. The effect of plasma inhomogeneity parameters on the characteristic features of the pulse propagation have been analysed and illustrated graphically. The focusing and axial intensity of the propagating pulse is observed to be sensitive to the plasma profile (gas jet parameters), and the focusing length can be tuned up to desired extent by suitable choice of the inhomogeneity parameters.