Color Laser Fields Research Articles

All-electron, density-functional-based method for angle-resolved tunneling ionization in the adiabatic regime

We develop and test a method that integrates many-electron weak-field asymptotic theory (ME-WFAT) [Phys. Rev. A 89, 013421 (2014)] in the integral representation (IR) into the density functional theory (DFT) framework. In particular, we present modifications of the integral formula in the IR ME-WFAT to incorporate the potential terms unique to DFT. By solving an adiabatic rate equation for the angle-resolved ionization yield in our DFT-based ME-WFAT method, we show that the results are in excellent agreement with those of real-time time-dependent density functional theory (RT-TDDFT) simulations for NO, OCS, CH$_3$Br, and CH$_3$Cl interacting with one- and two- color laser fields with a fundamental wavelength of $800$ nm. This agreement is significant because the WFAT calculations take only a small fraction of the time of full TDDFT calculations. These results suggest that in the wavelength region commonly used in strong-field experiments ($800$ nm and longer), our DFT-based WFAT treatment can be used to rapidly screen for the ionization properties of a large number of molecules as a function of alignment or orientation between the molecule and the strong field.

High-order harmonic generation in a two-color strong laser field with Bohmian trajectory theory**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11334009, 11474321, and 11527807).

We theoretically study the high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in a two-color laser field using the Bohmian mechanics. Our results show that, for the case of a weak second-color laser field, the simulation of the HHG with only one central Bohmian trajectory is in a good agreement with the ab initio time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) results. In contrast, with the increase of the amplitude of the second-color laser field, the HHG spectra from the single central Bohmian trajectory deviate from the TDSE results more and more significantly. By analyzing the Bohmian trajectories, we find that the significant deviation is due to the fact that the central Bohmian trajectory leaves the core quickly in the two-color laser field with the breaking of inversion symmetry. Interestingly, we find that another Bohmian trajectory with different initial position, which keeps oscillating around the core, could qualitatively well reproduce the TDSE results. Furthermore, we study the HHG spectrum in a two-color laser field with inversion symmetry and find that the HHG spectrum in TDSE can be still well simulated with the central Bohmian trajectory. These results indicate that, similar to the case of one color laser field, the HHG spectra in a two-color laser field can be also reproduced with a single Bohmian trajectory, although the initial position of the trajectory is dependent on the symmetry of the laser field. Our work thus demonstrates that Bohmian trajectory theory can be used as a promising tool in investigating the HHG process in a two-color laser field.

Improved treatment of the turning point in tunnel ionization of atoms in a low-frequency two color laser field

The tunneling photoionization rate for a two color (bichromatic) field consisting of coherent superposition of the fundamental laser field frequency and its second harmonic with frequency 2, was studied theoretically within the framework of the adiabatic Landau–Dykhne approach. Analytical expressions were derived for the case of fixed specified values of relative phase shift, between the harmonics of the incident bichromatic field.

Two color laser fields for studying the Cooper minimum with phase-matched high-order harmonic generation

We experimentally study the observation of the Cooper minimum in a semi-infinite argon-filled gas cell using two-color laser fields at wavelengths of 1400 nm and 800 nm. The experimental results show that the additional 800 nm field can change the macroscopic phase-matching condition through change of the atomic dipole phase associated with the electron in the continuum state and that this approach can be used to control the appearance of the Cooper minimum in the high-order harmonic spectrum in order to study the electronic structure of atoms and molecules.

Attosecond Pulse Trains Generated Using Two Color Laser Fields

We investigate the spectral and temporal structure of high harmonic emission from argon exposed to an infrared laser field and its second harmonic. For a wide range of generating conditions, trains of attosecond pulses with only one pulse per infrared cycle are generated. The synchronization necessary for producing such trains ensures that they have a stable pulse-to-pulse carrier envelope phase, unlike trains generated from one color fields, which have two pulses per cycle and a pi phase shift between consecutive pulses. Our experiment extends the generation of phase stabilized few cycle pulses to the extreme ultraviolet regime.

Stabilization of ionization due to two color laser fields

We examine the excitation dynamics of a model atom excited by a two commensurate (the fundamental and second harmonic) intense laser fields. We investigate that one can easily stabilize the quantum wave packet through suppression of photodetachment by changing the laser intensity and the relative phase between the two colors.