Strong-Field Approximation and Its Extension for High-Order Harmonic Generation with Mid-Infrared Lasers

Abstract

In recent years intense mid-infrared lasers with wavelength of a few microns have become the standard tools for research in strong field physics laboratories worldwide. These lasers offer the opportunities to extend the traditional study of high-order harmonics generation and attosecond sciences from the extreme ultraviolet to soft x-rays. In this tutorial we revisit the familiar strong field approximation and its simplification - the quantum orbits theory. We draw special emphasis on the factorization of laser induced dipole moment as the product of a returning electron wave packet with the photo-recombination dipole transition matrix element. The former depends on the laser properties only (up to a normalization constant) while the latter is related to laser-free photoionization transition dipole. The factorization leads to the suggested modification beyond the strong field approximation -- the quantitative rescattering theory. In applying these theories to mid-infrared lasers, we analyze the behavior of the returning electron wave packet and its scaling properties vs the wavelength of the laser. A few examples are given to demonstrate how the quantitative rescattering theory is capable of reproducing experimental harmonic spectra under various conditions. Future opportunities in employing harmonics generated by optimized mid-infrared lasers for probing molecular structure and for serving as useful table-top coherent light sources up to the x-ray region are also discussed.

Department(s)

Physics

Keywords and Phrases

Attosecond Physics; Harmonic Generation; Intense Laser Field; Mid-Infrared Lasers

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0953-4075

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Feb 2016

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