椭圆偏振强激光场中准直的乙炔分子的高次谐波发射

We perform an experimental study on high-order harmonic generation (HHG) of aligned acetylene molecules induced by a 35-fs 800-nm strong laser field, by using a home-built HHG spectrometer. It is observed that the molecular HHG probability declines with increasing the laser ellipticity, which is in consistence with the deduction from the well-known tunneling-plus-rescattering scenario. By introducing a weak femtosecond laser pulse to nonadiabatically align the molecules, we investigated the molecular orbital effect on the HHG in both linearly and elliptically polarized driving laser fields. The results show that the harmonic intensity is maximum for the molecular axis aligned perpendicularly to the laser electric field. It indicates that both the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) and HOMO-1 contribute to the strong-field HHG of acetylene molecules. Our study should pave the way for understanding the interaction of molecules with ultrafast strong laser fields.     

High-order harmonic generation from organic molecules in ultra-short pulses

We have studied high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from organic molecules irradiated with near-infrared high intensity laser pulses of 70 fs and 240 fs duration. The molecular systems studied were the aromatics benzene and naphthalene and the alkanes cyclopropane and cyclohexane (cyclic) and n-hexane (linear). Harmonic intensities were measured both as a function of laser intensity (in the range 5×10¹³-5×10¹⁵ W cm^-2) and as a function of ellipticity of the laser field polarisation. The results were compared with those from the xenon atom. For 70 fs pulses, harmonic generation from the organic systems was similar to that of xenon, revealing an atom-like behaviour for molecules when the laser pulse duration is shorter than the fragmentation timescale of the molecule. We note significant differences between molecules with respect to HHG efficiencies and the suppression of HHG in larger species. We discuss these differences in the context of the molecular properties, electronic structure and behaviour of ionisation and fragmentation that result in enhancement of field ionisation in larger systems. Study of the polarisation ellipticity dependence of HHG shows that the harmonic yield in molecules is less sensitive to the polarisation than for atoms (xenon). This is consistent with the expected behaviour given the larger recollision cross-section presented by the core in the molecular system compared to the atom. Our results suggest that study of HHG from molecules exposed to ultra-short pulses is potentially a powerful tool for understanding the electron dynamics of molecules exposed to an intense field. Received 14 September 2000 and Received in final form 6 December 2000     

Quantum interference of multi-orbital effects in high-harmonic spectra from aligned carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide

We investigate experimentally multi-orbital effects in high-order harmonic generation(HHG) from aligned CO_2 and N_2O molecules by intense femtosecond laser fields with linear and elliptical polarizations.For either of the aligned molecules, a minimum in the harmonic spectrum is observed, the position of which shifts to lower-order harmonics when decreasing the intensity or increasing the ellipticity of the driving laser.This indicates that the minimum originates from the dynamic interference of different channels, of which the tunneling ionization and recombination are contributed via different molecular orbitals.The results show that both the highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) and low-lying HOMO-2 in CO_2(or HOMO-1 in N_2O) contribute to the molecular HHG in both linearly and elliptically polarized strong laser fields.Our study would pave a way for understanding multi-electron dynamics from polyatomic molecules irradiated by strong laser fields.     

正交偏振双色激光场作用下高次谐波的椭偏特性研究

通过数值求解二维含时薛定谔方程,理论研究了正交偏振双色激光场作用下H2+分子高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生. 数值结果显示,改变激光场的强度比,可以调控高次谐波强度以及谐波椭偏率. 结果表明随着场强比的增加,y方向的谐波强度不断提高. 当场强比为1:2.5时,x方向和y方向分别仅有奇次谐波和偶次谐波产生,并且偶次谐波的强度比奇次谐波强度高2-3个数量级. 此时,奇次谐波的椭偏率最大可以达到0.3,偶次谐波的椭偏率接近于0. 此外,通过改变分子的准直角可以控制谐波的椭偏率,基于这一现象,利用椭圆偏振高次谐波的平台区合成了椭偏率为0.05的椭圆偏振阿秒脉冲链.     

线偏振激光场中分子高次谐波椭偏率的调控

高次谐波椭偏率的调控为人们研究磁性材料和手性介质中的超快动力学过程提供了有效途径.本文理论研究了线偏振激光脉冲驱动下,H₂~+和H₃²⁺分子高次谐波的偏振特性及阿秒脉冲产生.结果表明当取向角为0~o时,H₂~+分子谐波的椭偏率几乎为0,而H₃²⁺分子谐波具有较大椭偏率,这是由于分子轨道对称性决定的.通过改变取向角的大小,可以调控高次谐波强度以及谐波椭偏率大小,为产生椭偏XUV脉冲提供了手段.同时,发现椭偏率较大的谐波阶次对应的谐波强度较小,分析表明分子的双中心干涉效应对椭偏率有很大的影响.对于H₂~+和H₃²⁺分子,分别合成了椭偏率为0.75和0.55的椭圆偏振阿秒脉冲.这种大椭偏XUV脉冲的产生为高次谐波在材料与生物科学领域提供了重要应用.     

Minimum structure of high-harmonic spectrafrom aligned O2 and N2 molecules

We experimentally investigated the high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from aligned O₂ and N₂ molecules in a linearly polarized laser field, and presented the dependence of the harmonic spectrum on the driving laser intensity and molecular alignment angle. The minimum position of HHG of O₂ varies with changing the laser intensity, which is caused by multi-orbital interference. However, the location of the observed minimum structure in N₂ harmonic spectrum remained unchanged upon changing the laser intensity. The mechanism of the spectral minimum for N₂ case is regarded as a Cooper-like minimum in HHG associated with the molecular electronic structure. This work indicates that harmonic spectroscopy can effectively uncover information about molecular structure and electron dynamics.     

任意偏振激光作用下二维模型H原子的谐波发射

采用二维渐近边界条件和辛算法数值求解了任意偏振激光和H原子相互作用的二维含时Schrödinger方程的无穷空间初值问题. 计算了二维H原子在不同偏振激光作用下的谐波发射,得到各种椭圆率下谐波谱的特点与已有文献结果一致.通过电子的基态布居概率和某一时刻的概率密度分布以及电子的平均位移,对不同椭圆率下谐波谱的特点进行了分析. 结果表明,将渐近边界条件和辛算法推广到二维是合理和有效的. 关键词： 二维渐近边界条件 辛算法 任意偏振激光 高次谐波     

不同核轴取向的O2的高次谐波

分子的高次谐波是强场超快物理的重要研究课题. 采用建立在形式散射理论基础上的频域方法计算了O₂在线偏振激光场下的高次谐波, 探讨了核轴被准直在与激光传输方向垂直的平面内时, 高次谐波随核轴与光电场偏振方向所成夹角θ₀的依赖关系. 结果表明: 各次谐波都是在θ₀约为45°时强度最大, 并有较宽的峰值宽度; 当偏离此角度, 高次谐波的强度变小; 到达平行或垂直取向时, 降到最低. 分析表明, 这是由于高次谐波的强度取决于分子基态的电子在动量空间中的电场方向的布居. 针对核轴被准直在激光传输方向与电场偏振方向所确定的平面内的情况, 计算了高次谐波随θ₀的依赖关系, 结果与前一种情况基本相同. 分析发现, 当核轴被准直固定后, 分子绕核轴旋转的角度ψ没有固定, 所以最后的高次谐波强度需要对不同的ψ 时的高次谐波的贡献求和平均. 平均后相当于波函数相对于核轴旋转对称, 从而导致O₂的高次谐波仅与θ₀有关, 而与核轴被准直在哪个面上无关.     

分子双电离对激光偏振性的依赖关系

利用经典系综模型研究了氢分子双电离对激光场椭圆率的依赖性.研究发现,氢分子双电离机制对激光的椭偏性有强烈的依赖关系.随着激光场椭圆率的增加,双电离机制由非次序双电离转变为次序双电离.在大椭圆率情况的次序双电离中,电子关联动量分布随椭圆率的灵敏变化显示了电子出射时间对椭圆率的强烈依赖关系.     

New results in above-threshold ionization and high-order harmonic generation of atomic and molecular systems

Numerical results obtained applying the strong-field approximation to atomic and molecular processes in intense laser fields are presented. In particular, the forward-backward asymmetry in high-order above-threshold ionization (HATI) of Ar atoms by a few-cycle laser pulse is considered. It is shown that the resonantlike enhancements observed in the focal-averaged spectra disappear with the decreasing laser pulse duration. For HATI and high-order harmonic generation (HHG) by molecular systems, we present new results for diatomic molecules. The choice of gauge and the problem of dressing of the initial bound state are discussed. The appearance of the interference minima in molecular HATI and HHG spectra and their role in the characterization of the molecular structure are considered using the example of the Ar₂ molecule.     

Probing subcycle spectral structures and dynamics of high-order harmonic generation in crystals

Subcycle spectral structures and dynamics of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) processes of atoms and molecules driven by intense laser fields on the attosecond time scale have been originally studied theoretically and experimentally. However, the time scale of HHG dynamics in crystals is in the order of sub-femtosecond, and the carrier dynamics of HHG in crystals driven by subcycle laser pulses are largely unexplored. Here we perform a theoretical study of subcycle structures, spectra, and dynamics of HHG of crystals in mid-infrared laser fields subject to excitation by a subcycle laser pulse with a time delay. The HHG spectra as a function of time delay between two laser fields are calculated by using a single-band model for the intra-band carrier dynamics in crystal momentum space and by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in velocity gauge for the treatment of multi-band crystal systems. The results exhibit a complex time-delay-dependent oscillatory pattern, and the enhancement and suppression of the HHG related to subcycle pulse are observed at the given time delay in either single-band or multi-band crystal systems. To understand oscillation structures with respect to the dependence for the subcycle laser fields, the time-frequency characteristics of the HHG as well as the probability density distribution of the radiation are analyzed in detail.     

Origin of anomalous spectra of dynamic alignments observed in N2 and O2

Recent pump-probe experiments with intense femtosecond laser pulses and diatomic molecules N2 and O2, have revealed the presence of Raman-forbidden anomalous series and lines in the Fourier spectrum of HHG (high harmonic generation) signals. A theoretical analysis of the problem is made by deriving a general expression of the angle dependent HHG operator that governs the dynamic alignment signals in linear molecules, and applying them to the experiments in N2 and O2. A unified interpretation of the origin of the observed Raman-allowed and the anomalous spectral features is given. The results are also used to estimate the molecular temperature in the experiments.     

脉冲激光偏振方向对氧分子高次谐波的影响——基于含时密度泛函理论的模拟

采用含时密度泛函方法,结合赝势模型和电子交换相关作用的广义梯度近似,模拟了氧分子在超强飞秒激光脉冲作用下的高次谐波产生现象,并研究了激光脉冲偏振方向对氧分子高次谐波的影响.结果表明氧分子的高次谐波谱具有典型原子谐波谱的特征;当θ=45°(激光偏振方向与分子轴向夹角)时,谐波谱强度最大.这与文献报道的实验结果基本一致.     

非均匀激光场中氢分子离子高次谐波的增强

通过数值求解非波恩-奥本海默近似下的一维含时薛定谔方程,研究了蝴蝶结型纳米结构基元中氢分子离子高次谐波的产生.研究表明,在蝴蝶结型纳米结构基元内部产生的非均匀场的空间位置对高次谐波的发射有较大影响.当非均匀场的空间位置从30 a.u.平移到-30 a.u.时,高次谐波的截止位置被延展且形成光滑的超连续的谐波谱,并应用时频分析方法、经典三步模型以及电离概率等解释了高次谐波发射的物理机理.研究了高次谐波谱对非均匀场空间位置的依赖性与载波包络值的关系,发现随着载波包络值的变化,非均匀场在不同空间位置处的高次谐波谱变化趋势相同.     

理论研究激光强度对H2+分子高次谐波产生的影响

本文通过求解非波恩-奥本海默近似条件下的一维含时薛定谔方程来研究脉冲强度对H₂⁺分子高次谐波的影响.由于干涉相消,在啁啾激光场的条件下在谐波谱中出现了干涉最小值.我们用全量子方法计算的时频分布图分析了分子高次谐波产生中的微观机制.此外,数值计算结果显示随着脉冲强度的增加电子的有质动力势随之增加,同时干涉最小值的位置移向谐波的高阶部分.     

Three-step model for high-harmonic generation in many-electron systems

The three-step model (TSM) of high-harmonic generation (HHG) is generalized to atomic and molecular many-electron systems. Using many-body perturbation theory, corrections to the standard TSM due to exchange and electron-electron correlations are derived. It is shown that canonical Hartree-Fock orbitals represent the most appropriate set of one-electron states for calculating the HHG spectrum. To zeroth order in many-body perturbation theory, a HHG experiment allows direct access, in general, to a combination of occupied Hartree-Fock orbitals rather than to the highest occupied molecular orbital by itself.     

拉伸分子高次谐波产生的阿秒控制

通过数值求解一维含时薛定谔方程,本文研究了高频阿秒脉冲对拉伸双原子分子模型与低频飞秒激光脉冲相互作用产生高次谐波谱的影响.研究表明,若阿秒脉冲在低频脉冲的第二个光学周期截止处注入时,只第二个平台截止位置IP 5.6UP(IP为电离势,UP为有质动力能)附近谐波的效率得到显著提高;若阿秒脉冲的包络峰值处于低频脉冲第三个光学周期T/4(为飞秒激光脉冲的光学周期)附近时,则谐波谱出现了明显的整体抬高现象.对此,本文根据拉伸分子谐波谱的四种产生机制及阿秒脉冲在飞秒激光不同相位注入时的电子电离曲线,对这些谐波谱的结构给出了合理解释.     

Interplay of polarization geometry and rotational dynamics in high-order harmonic generation from coherently rotating linear molecules

Recent reports on intense-field pump-probe experiments for high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from coherently rotating linear molecules have revealed remarkable characteristic effects of the simultaneous variation of the polarization geometry and the time delay on the high-order harmonic signals. We analyze the effects and give a unified theoretical account of the experimental observations. Furthermore, characteristic behavior at critical polarization angles are found that can help to identify the molecular orbital symmetry in connection with the problem of molecular imaging from the HHG data.