Temporal structure of attosecond pulses from intense laser-atom interactions

Quantum-Path-Resolved Attosecond High-Harmonic Spectroscopy

Strong-field ionization of molecules releases electrons which can be accelerated and driven back to recombine with their parent ion, emitting high-order harmonics. This ionization also initiates attosecond electronic and vibrational dynamics in the ion, evolving during the electron travel in the continuum. Revealing this subcycle dynamics from the emitted radiation usually requires advanced theoretical modeling. We show that this can be avoided by resolving the emission from two families of electronic quantum paths in the generation process. The corresponding electrons have the same kinetic energy, and thus the same structural sensitivity, but differ by the travel time between ionization and recombination-the pump-probe delay in this attosecond self-probing scheme. We measure the harmonic amplitude and phase in aligned CO_{2} and N_{2} molecules and observe a strong influence of laser-induced dynamics on two characteristic spectroscopic features: a shape resonance and multichannel interference. This quantum-path-resolved spectroscopy thus opens wide prospects for the investigation of ultrafast ionic dynamics, such as charge migration.

Chirp-free isolated attosecond pulse generation from an atom irradiated by a fundamental terahertz pulse synchronizing an infrared laser pulse

We theoretically study high-order harmonic generation (HHG) and attosecond pulses from an atom irradiated synchronically by a terahertz (THz) pulse and an infrared laser pulse. For the HHG spectrum from the THz pulse alone and the combined pulse, an apparent peak-valley structure appears the platform region. Specially, for the periodic structure generated by an atom under the action of the combined pulse is originated from the interference between the electrons ionized at different instants in the laser field, which undergo many recollision and return to the core at the same time. Therefore, continuum harmonics with few chirps from the interference enhancement region can be achieved, which result in a chirp-free isolated attosecond pulse.

High harmonic generation via continuum wave-packet interference

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) is investigated theoretically in the over-the-barrier ionization regime revealing the strong signature of interference between two separately ionized and separately propagating free wave packets of a single electron. The interference leads to the emission of coherent light at a photon energy corresponding to the kinetic-energy difference of the two recolliding electron quantum paths, thus complementary to the well-known classical three-step picture of HHG. As will be shown by time-frequency analysis of the emitted radiation, the process entirely dominates the coherent HHG emission after the atomic ground state has been depleted by a strong field. Moreover, it can be isolated from the continuum-bound harmonics via phase matching.

Scaling of wave-packet dynamics in an intense midinfrared field

A theoretical investigation is presented that examines the wavelength scaling from near-visible (0.8 micro m) to midinfrared (2 micro m) of the photoelectron distribution and high harmonics generated by a "single" atom in an intense electromagnetic field. The calculations use a numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) in argon and the strong-field approximation in helium. The scaling of electron energies (lambda2), harmonic cutoff (lambda2), and attochirp (lambda -1) agree with classical mechanics, but it is found that, surprisingly, the harmonic yield follows a lambda -(5-6) scaling at constant intensity. In addition, the TDSE results reveal an unexpected contribution from higher-order returns of the rescattering electron wave packet.

Theory of high-order harmonic generation in relativistic laser interaction with overdense plasma

High-order harmonic generation due to the interaction of a short ultrarelativistic laser pulse with overdense plasma is studied analytically and numerically. On the basis of the ultrarelativistic similarity theory we show that the high-order harmonic spectrum is universal, i.e., it does not depend on the interaction details. The spectrum includes the power-law part In proportional variantion for n(-8/3) for n < sqrt of 8 alpha gammamax3, followed by exponential decay. Here gammamax is the largest relativistic gamma factor of the plasma surface and alpha is the second derivative of the surface velocity at this moment. The high-order harmonic cutoff at proportional variantion gammamax3 is parametrically larger than the 4gammamax2 predicted by the simple "oscillating mirror" model based on the Doppler effect. The cornerstone of our theory is the new physical phenomenon: spikes in the relativistic gamma factor of the plasma surface. These spikes define the high-order harmonic spectrum and lead to attosecond pulses in the reflected radiation.

Compression of laser radiation in plasmas using electromagnetic cascading

Compressing high-power laser beams in plasmas via generation of a coherent cascade of electromagnetic sidebands is described. The technique requires two copropagating beams detuned by a near-resonant frequency Omega approximately < omega(p). The ponderomotive force of the laser beat wave drives an electron plasma wave which modifies the refractive index of plasma so as to produce a periodic phase modulation of the laser field with the beat period tau(b) = 2pi/Omega. A train of chirped laser beat notes (each of duration tau(b)) is thus created. The group velocity dispersion of radiation in plasma can then compress each beat note to a few-laser-cycle duration. As a result, a train of sharp electromagnetic spikes separated in time by tau(b) is formed. Depending on the plasma and laser parameters, chirping and compression can be implemented either concurrently in the same plasma or sequentially in different plasmas.

Relativistic Doppler effect: universal spectra and zeptosecond pulses

We report on a numerical observation of the train of zeptosecond pulses produced by the reflection of a relativistically intense femtosecond laser pulse from the oscillating boundary of an overdense plasma because of the Doppler effect. These pulses promise to become unique experimental and technological tools since their length is of the order of the Bohr radius and the intensity is extremely high proportional, variant 10(19) W/cm(2). We present the physical mechanism, analytical theory, and direct particle-in-cell simulations. We show that the harmonic spectrum is universal: the intensity of nth harmonic scales as 1/n(p) for n<4gamma(2), where gamma is the largest gamma factor of the electron fluid boundary, and p=3 and p=5/2 for the broadband and quasimonochromatic laser pulses, respectively.