Abstract
Atomic electrons subject to intense laser fields can absorb many photons, leading either to multiphoton ionization or the emission of a single, energetic photon which can be a high multiple of the laser frequency. The latter process, high-order harmonic generation, has been observed experimentally using a range of laser wavelengths and intensities over the past several years.1»2 Harmonic generation spectra have a generic form: a steep decline for the low order harmonics, followed by a plateau extending to high harmonic order, and finally an abrupt cutoff beyond which no harmonics are discernible. During the plateau the harmonic production is a very weak function of the process order. Harmonic generation is a promising source of coherent, tunable radiation in the XUV to soft X-ray range which could have a variety of scientific and possibly technological applications. Its conversion from an interesting multiphoton phenomenon to a useful laboratory radiation source requires a complete understanding of both its microscopic and macroscopic aspects. By “microscopic” we mean the response a single atom to a pulse of intense laser radiation, while “macroscopic” refers to the spatial and temporal characteristics of the emitted radiation as it propagates through the nonlinear medium in which it is produced. In this article we focus on the response of a single atom to an intense, short pulse laser. The macroscopic aspects of harmonic generation are treated in detail elsewhere in this volume.3
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Schafer, K.J., Krause, J.L., Kulander, K.C. (1994). Harmonic Generation at High Intensities. In: More, R.M. (eds) Laser Interactions with Atoms, Solids and Plasmas. NATO ASI Series, vol 327. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1576-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1576-4_4
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