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The detailed characteristics of the harmonics emission of atoms driven via a linearly polarized laser field combined with an orthogonal, weaker electrostatic field were investigated by numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. It was found that the direction of the laser polarization and the polarization of the attosecond light, which is synthesized from the harmonic, can be controlled by the amplitude of the electrostatic field. With the analysis of the spatial distribution of the time-dependent dipole moment and the time-dependent evolution of the electronic wave packet, the control mechanism for the harmonic characters was investigated. The generation of harmonics in the vertical direction of the laser electric field is caused by the breaking of the symmetry of the time wave packet distribution. With this mechanism, we obtained circularly polarized attosecond light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the strong field approximation theory and numerical solution of Maxwell's propagation equations, the high–order harmonic is generated from a neon (Ne) atom irradiated by a high–intensity laser pulse whose central wavelength is 800 nm. In the harmonic spectrum, it is found that in addition to the odd harmonics of the driving laser, a new frequency peak appeared. By examining the time–dependent behavior of the driving laser, it is found that the symmetry of the laser field is broken. We demonstrated that these new spectrum peaks are caused by the intensity reduction and frequency blue shift of the high–intensity laser during propagation. Our results reveal that it is feasible to modulate the harmonics of the specific energy to produce high–intensity harmonic emission by changing the gas density and the position of the gas medium interacting with the laser pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we theoretically explored the high-order harmonic generation process under the interaction of high-intensity two-color ultrashort driving laser pulses with atoms. The symmetry of the electric field of the laser pulse will be broken. The producing electric field was controlled at the subcycle level by an IR laser and its second harmonic, which has the unique characteristic that two sequential half-cycles become distinct, rather than merely opposite in sign. Compared with the case of the atom in the fundamental laser pulse, the harmonic efficiency showed an increase of 1∼2 orders of magnitude at specific harmonic order with this combined pulse action. Through the theoretical analysis with the "three-step model", it was demonstrated that the enhancement of the harmonic intensity is due to the fast ionization of electrons at the ionization moment and the short time from ionization to recombination of ionized electrons. In addition, effects of the peak field amplitude ratio, the full width at half maximum, the phase delay of the two-color pulses, the laser intensity and ionization probability on the harmonic efficiency enhancement were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), the harmonic generation process of atoms irradiated by corotating laser pulses composed of a fundamental-frequency and high-frequency field is systematically studied. Compared with the harmonic generated from atoms irradiated by counter-rotating two-color circularly polarized laser pulses, the harmonic efficiency of atoms irradiated by co-rotating two-color circularly polarized (CRTCCP) laser pulses with the same laser parameters is higher. The harmonics are generated by the multiphoton radiation transition after the bound electrons undergo a multiphoton absorption transition to a higher energy level. In addition, the variation of the harmonic efficiency with the field strength of different frequency components in the driving laser pulse is also studied. The circularly polarized harmonics with higher intensity can be obtained by optimizing the field strength of the driving laser field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The ionization yield of the initial momenta L = −1 is an order of magnitude higher than that of L = 1 for the Ar atom. • The angular distribution at the single ionization instants play a key role in the recollision progress. • The recollision times of the different initial angular momenta are mapped to the electron momentum spectrum. The non-sequential double ionization process of Ar atoms with different initial angular momenta in the 500 nm circularly polarized field is investigated with a classical ensemble model. The numerical results show that, under the circularly polarized laser pulse, the double ionization yield as a function of the laser intensity for Ar atoms with different initial angular momenta exhibit an obvious Knee structure. The ionization yield in the counter-rotating case where the electronic initial rotation direction is opposite to the vector potential of the laser field, significantly higher than that in the co-rotating case where the electronic initial rotation direction is consistent with the vector potential of the laser field. Based on the classical trajectory analysis, it is found that this ionization difference comes from the angle between the direction of the electronic momentum and the force of the laser field at the single ionization instant. The angle in the counter-rotating case is greater than that in the co-rotating case, and the counter-rotating electrons are more likely to return to the parent ion for recollision. Besides, the recollision intants of Ar atoms with the different initial angular momenta are mapped to the electron momentum spectrum. This may provide a method to obtain the electron's recollision instant of Ar atoms with different initial angular momenta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-order harmonic generation is investigated by using time-dependent density functional theory to numerically simulate the interaction of the benzene molecule with a few-cycle circularly polarized laser pulse. Compared with the harmonics from atoms and diatomic molecules with similar ionization energy irradiated by the same laser pulse, the harmonics from benzene molecules possess higher efficiency and cut-off energy. Further research reveals that the harmonic efficiency and cut-off energy of the benzene molecule increase gradually as the wavelength of the driving laser decreases. Through the analysis of the time-dependent evolution of electronic wave packets, it is found that the harmonic generation can be attributed to the recombination of the ionized electrons and their parent ions. By optimizing the driving laser pulse, we demonstrated that high-order harmonic generation in the benzene molecule can be used to produce isolated circularly polarized attosecond pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The electron momentum "correlation behavior" cause by the sequential double ionization in the high-intensity linearly polarized laser field. • This correlation behavior is caused by the ultrafast electronic ionization within a quarter optical period of the laser field. The double ionization of a hydrogen molecule in a high-intensity linearly polarized laser pulse is systematically investigated. It is found that the process of the double ionization of the hydrogen molecules is dominated by the sequential double ionization, whereas the spectrum of the electron momentum exhibits an obvious correlation behavior of electrons and this correlation behavior exists with the variation of the nuclear distance. Based on the analysis of electron trajectories, we demonstrate that this correlation is caused by the ultrafast electronic ionization within a quarter optical period of the laser field. Especially, the correlation of the electron momenta depends on the laser pulse's negative vector potential, which is corresponding to the ionization instants of the two electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]