The predominant spectral blueshifting of a sub-picosecond UV laser pulse induced by ultrafast ionization of noble gases was investigated. Spectral measurements were made at various gas densities. Typical quasi-periodic structures in the blueshifted spectrum were obtained. The observations were in connection with the so-called self-phase modulation of laser pulses in the ultrafast ionization process which was simply simulated with an ADK （Ammosov-Delone-Krainov） ionization model. Some quantitative information can be deduced from the measurements and calculations.
The characteristics of backward harmonic radiation due to electron oscillations driven by a linearly polarized fs laser pulse are analysed considering a single electron model. The spectral distributions of the electron＇s backward harmonic radiation are investigated in detail for different parameters of the driver laser pulse. Higher order harmonic radiations are possible for a sufficiently intense driving laser pulse. We have shown that for a realistic pulsed photon beam, the spectrum of the radiation is red shifted as well as broadened because of changes in the longitudinal velocity of the electrons during the laser pulse. These effects are more pronounced at higher laser intensities giving rise to higher order harmonics that eventually leads to a continuous spectrum. Numerical simulations have further shown that by increasing the laser pulse width the broadening of the high harmonic radiations can be controlled.
