Specific features of propagation of femtosecond laser pulses through a molecular gaseous medium under conditions of efficient alignment of molecules

The propagation of femtosecond laser pulses in a molecular gaseous medium is studied with the rotational dynamics of molecules under the action of these pulses taken into account. Based on the simultaneous numerical solution of the wave equation describing the laser pulse evolution and the Schrödinger equation that determines the quantum state evolution of the medium molecules, the rotational dynamics of molecules in the laser field and the laser pulse evolution are analysed with their mutual influence taken into account. Efficient dynamic alignment of molecules along the direction of laser radiation polarisation is observed, which causes variation in the spatiotemporal pulse profile, as well as significant broadening and deformation of its spectrum in the course of propagation through the medium. The physical mechanisms of the observed phenomena are analysed by using the approximate analytical solution of the problem, derived for the case of preliminary excitation of the medium by a pump pulse (the pump-probe scheme).