High-order harmonic generation with a two-color laser pulse

We theoretically investigate the electron dynamics of the high-order harmonics generation process by combining a near-infrared 800 nm driving pulse with a mid-infrared 2000 nm control field. We also investigate the emission time of harmonics using time-frequency analysis to illustrate the physical mechanisms of high-order harmonic generation. We calculate the ionization rate using the Ammosov-Delone-Krainov model and interpret the variations in harmonic intensity for different control field strengths and delays. We find that the width of the harmonic plateau can be extended when the control electric field is added, and a supercontinuum from 198 to 435 eV is generated, from which an isolated 61-as pulse can be directly obtained.     

正交偏振双色激光场作用下生成的孤立阿秒脉冲

我们理论研究了正交偏振双色激光场作用下的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生.当y方向加一束中红外激光脉冲(12.5 fs/2000 nm),x方向加一束强度较弱的激光脉冲(12 fs/800 nm)时,我们得到从250 eV到350 eV的超连续谐波平台,在平台范围内叠加50 eV的谐波,可以得到一个脉宽约为97as的孤立阿秒脉冲. 通过时频分析,我们解释了高次谐波发射的物理机制.     

Isolated attosecond pulse generation from atom radiated by a three-color laser pulse

We theoretically investigate high-order harmonic and attosecond pulse generation from helium atom in a three-color laser field, which is synthesized by 10 fs/800 nm Ti-sapphire laser and a two-color field consisting of 30 fs/532 nm and30 fs/1330 nm pulses. Compared with harmonic spectrum generated by a monochromatic field, the harmonics generated from the synthesized three-color field show a supercontinuum spectrum with a bandwidth of 235 eV, ranging from the 154 th to the 306 th order harmonic. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the ionization of atoms as well as motion of ionized electron can be effectively controlled in the three-color field. Therefore, an isolated 46-as pulse can be generated by superposing supercontinuum from the 160 th to the 210 th order harmonics.     

利用三色组合脉冲激光获得孤立阿秒脉冲发射

孤立阿秒脉冲因可以跟踪和控制原子及分子内电子的运动过程而备受关注.本文从理论上开展了氦原子在3束飞秒脉冲激光组合场辐照下产生的高次谐波和阿秒脉冲辐射的研究.组合激光场由16 fs/1600 nm,15 fs/1100 nm和5.3 fs/800 nm的钛宝石脉冲构成.与前两束脉冲合成的双色场产生谐波谱相比,附加钛宝石脉冲的三色场产生的高次谐波发射谱呈现出高转换效率及宽带超连续特性,超连续谱范围覆盖从230—690次谐波,傅里叶变换后实现了128 as高强度孤立短脉冲的产生.该结果归因于合成的三色场呈现出高功率及少周期的中红外飞秒脉冲激光特性,可以有效控制原子电离以及复合发生在中红外飞秒脉冲的一个有效光学周期内.     

Control of high-order harmonic generation with two-colour laser field

We numerically investigate the high-order harmonic generation with two-colour optical field,taking into considera-tion the propagation effects.Some harmonics can be dramatically enhanced at a certain delay between the fundamental pulse and its second harmonics.Choice of the enhanced harmonics can be realised by changing the time delay between the two laser pulses.     

少周期激光脉冲附加太赫兹场对高次谐波发射的影响

本文通过数值求解非伯恩奥本海默近似下电子一维核一维的含时薛定谔方程,研究了少周期线偏振激光与氢分子离子相互作用下,太赫兹场的加入对高次谐波的发射影响.我们发现,在短周期线偏振激光脉冲的y方向上附加一个强度较弱的太赫兹场可以有效地扩展谐波的截止位置,并对量子轨道实现调控.通过时频分析、电子波包随时间变化以及半经典三步模型研究了高次谐波发射的物理机制,并对获得的物理现象给出合理的解释.     

Ultra-broadband supercontinuum generation with a nonlinear chirped pulse for controlling quantum path

We theoretically investigate the high-order harmonic generation in helium atom driven by a nonlinear chirped laser pulse with few-cycle duration. By employing appropriate chirp to the driving pulse, an efficient electric field waveform of controlling quantum path for ultra-broadband supercontinuous harmonics is realized, and then an isolated sub-50 as pulse with bandwidth of 739 eV can be significantly obtained.     

The control of the electron quantum paths for the generation of isolated attosecond pulse using a three-color laser scheme

We theoretically propose a three-color laser scheme to enhance the high-order harmonic intensity and generate an isolated attosecond pulse. By adding a 3 fs, 1600 nm laser pulse to a synthesized two-color laser field (5 fs, 800 nm and 10 fs, 1200 nm), the harmonic intensity is effectively enhanced and an isolated attosecond pulse with duration 41 as is generated. In this scheme, the short trajectory is suppressed, the selection of the long quantum path can be achieved. We also investigate emission time of harmonics in terms of the time-frequency analysis and the semi-classical three-step model to illustrate the physical mechanism of high-order harmonic generation.     

三色激光控制量子路径生成短于30阿秒的孤立脉冲

采用多周期的800 nm钛宝石激光组合1600 nm中红外脉 冲辐照氦离子产生高次谐波发射功率谱. 相对于单色场情形, 谐波谱出现明显的双平台结构, 且在第二平台区出现了光滑的连续辐射谱, 其转化效率相对于第一平台低了约两个数量级. 通过附加脉宽为1 fs的27次谐波脉冲到双色激光场的特定时域, 可以控制电子电离在半个光学周期内迅速提升, 获得了由单一短量子路径贡献的连续辐射谱, 使得第二平台区谐波的转化效率相对于组合场情形增强4个数量级, 且连续谱的频谱范围从第二平台区扩展到第一平台区, 叠加该连续谱190次到285次谐波生成了脉宽为29 as的强、短孤立脉冲.     

Ultrahigh Harmonic Generation from an Atom with Superposition of Ground State and Highly Excited States

We investigate the high-order harmonic generation from an atom prepared in a superposition of ground state and highly excited state. When the atom is irradiated by an ultrashort pulse, the cutoff position of the plateau in the harmonic spectrum is largely extended compared with the case that the atom is initially in the ground state. The physics of the extension of the high-order harmonic plateau can be interpreted by the spatial structure of the atomic initial wave packet. We can optimize the generation of high-order harmonics by substituting the excited state for a particular coherent superposition of some highly excited states to form a spatially localized excited wave packet.     

量子路径控制生成宽频软X射线连续辐射谱

数值研究了双色激光脉冲与一维氩原子相互作用的谐波发射功率谱.双色激光脉冲由800 nm和1600 nm的两束激光组成,脉冲持续时间为9.7 fs.计算结果表明,相对相位为π时,谐波截止频率从单色场情形的58 eV大幅度地展宽到316 eV,获得频宽为93 eV的软X射线连续辐射谱.此外,还采用短程的普薛耳－特勒势和长程的软化库仑势进行比对,数值结果表明该连续辐射谱的存在具有普适性.通过半经典的“三步”模型和时频分析小波变换方法对该连续辐射谱进行分析,发现其主要由单一的“短”量子路径生成,直接叠加频率从22 关键词： 红外双色激光脉冲 连续辐射谱 阿秒脉冲     

Extending the High-Order Harmonics Plateau and Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation in an Intense Three-Color Laser Field

We propose a method to extend the high-order harmonics plateau and generate an isolated sub-10-as pulse by adding a weak control pulse (10 fs, 1600 nm) to modify a two-color laser field (5 fs, 800 nm; 10 fs, 400 nm). The numerical results show that the plateau is extended obviously in the three-color laser field regime. Additionally, the ionization rate and classical returning kinetic-energy maps are calculated to better understand the physical origin of the high-order harmonics generation (HHG). By means of the ionization probability and the time-frequency distributions, more features of the HHG are revealed. Furthermore, our simulations show that the width of the plateau and the relative conversion efficiency of the harmonic spectra are highly dependent on the relative phase. Finally, by adjusting the relative phase and superposing a properly selected range of the HHG spectrum, an isolated attosecond pulse with a duration of 7 as is obtained.     

Controlling the contributions to high-order harmonic generation from different nuclei of N_2 with an orthogonally polarized two-color laser field

The generation of high-order harmonic and the attosecond pulse of the N2 molecule with an orthogonally polarized two-color laser field are investigated by the strong-field Lewenstein model.We show that the control of contributions to high-order harmonic generation(HHG) from different nuclei is realized by properly selecting the relative phase.When the relative phase is chosen to be φ= 0.4π,the contribution to HHG from one nucleus is much more than that from another.Interference between two nuclei can be suppressed greatly; a supercontinuum spectrum of HHG appears from 40 e V to125 e V.The underlying physical mechanism is well explained by the time–frequency analysis and the semi-classical threestep model with a finite initial transverse velocity.By superposing several orders of harmonics,an isolated attosecond pulse with a duration of 80 as can be generated.     

空间非均匀啁啾双色场驱动下氦离子的高次谐波以及孤立阿秒脉冲的产生

本文理论上研究了初态为基态与第一激发态等权叠加的一维氦离子在空间非均匀啁啾双色场驱动下氦离子的高次谐波发射及孤立阿秒脉冲的产生. 研究表明, 一维氦离子在空间非均匀啁啾双色场驱动下发射的高次谐波相对于均匀场情况截止位置得到明显扩展, 得到了光滑的超连续谱,并应用半经典三步模型解释了高次谐波发射的物理机理. 通过小波变换的方法对连续谱进行了时频分析, 并且与电子的经典运动轨迹进行了对比分析, 结果显示在空间非均匀场中长量子轨道消失, 短量子轨道加强. 讨论了空间非均匀啁啾双色场中时间延迟对谐波和孤立阿秒脉冲产生的影响, 发现适当调整时间延迟值可以得到较大延展的光滑的超连续谐波谱, 本方案中时间延迟为t₀=1.6πup/ω₁时得到了最大延展, 通过对谐波中600次到680次(80次)谐波合成得到32 as的孤立脉冲.     

Controls for the generation of high-order harmonics and attosecond pulses by an infrared laser field combined with a low-frequency pulse

We investigate high-order harmonic generations by controlling various quantum paths of harmonics in an infrared laser field which combines a low-frequency pulse.Both classical theory and the quantum wavelet transform method are used to understand the physics of harmonics.By adjusting the carrier envelope phase of the fundamental field,the intensities of harmonic spectra increase and the harmonics in the plateau become regular.Attosecond pulses each with a duration of 58 as are obtained directly by compressing the harmonics,and with phase compensation an isolated attosecond pulse less than 30 as can be generated.     

Controls for the generations of high-order harmonics and attosecond pulses by infrared laser field combined with a low-frequency pulse

We investigate high-order harmonic generations by controlling various quantum paths of harmonics in an infrared laser field which combines a low-frequency pulse. Both classical theory and quantum wavelet transform method are used to understand the physics of harmonics. By adjusting the carrier envelope phase of the fundamental field, the intensities of harmonic spectra increase and the harmonics in the plateau become regular. Attosecond pulses each with a duration of 58 as are obtained directly by compressing the harmonics, and with phase compensation an isolated attosecond pulse less than 30 as can be generated.     

Coherent control of high-order harmonics generated with intense femtosecond laser pulses

Experimental results and theoretical analysis on the coherent control of high-order harmonics with chirped femtosecond laser pulses are presented. The coherent control of high-order harmonic generation resulted in sharp harmonic spectra by compensating for induced harmonic chirp with the control of applied laser chirp and it was found to be crucial also in producing sharp and bright harmonics.Received: 18 November 2002, Published online: 8 July 2003PACS: 42.65.Ky Frequency conversion; harmonic generation, including higher-order harmonic generation - 32.80.-t Photon interactions with atoms - 42.65.Re Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression     

Stable generation of high-order harmonics of femtosecond laser radiation from laser produced plasma plumes at 1 kHz pulse repetition rate

We present a method for the creation of stable weakly ionized plasmas from laser ablation of solid targets using a 1 kHz pulse repetition rate laser, which can be used for stable high-order harmonic generation from plasma plumes. The plasma plumes were generated from cylindrical rotating targets. Without target rotation the intensity of harmonics in the 40-80 nm range drops by more than one order of magnitude during less than 10(3) shots, while, with rotation of the target at typically 30 revolutions per minute, stable emission of high-order harmonics from aluminum plasma plumes with variation of less than 10% was maintained for >10(6) laser shots.     

Supercontinuous high harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules in the presence of a terahertz field

We have investigated high-order harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules. It is found that supercontinuous high harmonics,which are produced from asymmetric molecules by significantly steering the ionization,are broken down when the electric field of the 5-fs driving laser pulse is increased to 0.16 a.u. The high harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules with the presence of a terahertz field is also investigated. This reveals that the terahertz controlled laser pulse significantly increases the energy difference between photons,emitted from the ejected electrons,in the first and second halves of the optical cycle at the centre of the driving laser pulse. In this way,a 200-eV broadband supercontinuum can be produced in the plateau,from which a 60-as pulse with a bandwidth of 60 eV can be directly obtained with a minor post-pulse.     

利用三束中红外空间非均匀激光场产生超长平台区

数值研究了氦离子在三束中红外激光场下发射高次谐波以及阿秒脉冲的特点. 计算结果表明, 通过适当调节三束激光场的延迟时间和相位角, 不仅谐波发射的截止能量得到了延伸, 而且单一的量子路径也被选择出来对谐波发射起作用, 随后通过适当的引入空间非均匀参数,谐波截止能量得到了进一步扩展,形成了一个超长的1773eV的平台区. 并且我们发现当选择氦离子的基态和第一激发态为叠加初始态时,谐波的强度被增强了4-6个数量级. 最后, 通过叠加谐波谱上的谐波, 可获得一系列脉宽为32as左右的阿秒X射线光源. 并且这些光源的强度比氦离子基态作为初始态时增强了4-6个数量级.