We investigate the self-phase modulation of intense femtosecond laser pulses
propagating in an ionizing gas and its effects on collective properties of
high-order harmonics generated in the medium. Plasmas produced in the medium
are shown to induce a positive frequency chirp on the leading edge of the
propagating laser pulse, which subsequently drives high harmonics to become
positively chirped. In certain parameter regimes, the plasma-induced positive
chirp can help to generate sharply peaked high harmonics, by compensating for
the dynamically-induced negative chirp that is caused by the steep intensity
profile of intense short laser pulses.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
