Universal long-wavelength nonlinear optical response of noble gases

We demonstrate numerically that the long-wavelength nonlinear dipole moment and ionization rate versus electric field strength $F$ for different noble gases can be scaled onto each other, revealing universal functions that characterize the form of the nonlinear response. We elucidate the physical origin of the universality by using a metastable state analysis of the light-atom interaction in combination with a scaling analysis. Our results also provide a powerful new means of characterizing the nonlinear response in the mid-infrared and long-wave infrared for optical filamentation studies.