The influence of the quantum nature of nuclei in high harmonic generation from H+2-like molecular ions

We study the full quantum dynamics of a simple molecular ion driven by an intense laser field. In particular we show that the quantum nature of the nuclear dynamics affects the emitted high harmonic generation (HHG) spectra, strongly reshaping the plateau region. In fact, it is evident that the characteristic flat trend is transformed into a descending trend, with the lower harmonics being two orders of magnitude more intense than the higher harmonics. We show that this effect is more pronounced in the lighter isotopic species of H2+ molecular ions and we also demonstrate that in this case the contribution to HHG from the antibonding electronic energetic surface is of the same order of magn…

The table top high frequency lasing device

Atomic and molecular systems, subjected to intense laser pulse, emit typical High-Order Armonic Generation (HHG) spectra. This work aims to investigate the possibility to obtain a laser device by HHG. At this end, we analyzed the emission spectra by a molecular ion driven by a linearly polarized laser field. The temporal behaviour is obtained using the Morlet wavelets transform of emission. The results show that, after filtration of the electromagnetic radiation emitted, it is possible to select a frequency which seems to have almost constant intensity and phase. This characteristic makes possible that HHG from a molecule can be used as high frequency laser fields.

High harmonics generation from structured nanorings

In this work we study the radiation diffused by a fictitious structured nanoring driven by an intense laser field. In our model we consider an electron moving through a cosine-shape potential. The results show that the ring, under particular conditions, emits a wide spectrum of harmonics.

Defects in quantum ring to control high-harmonic spectrum

AbstractThe high-harmonic generation from a structured quantum ring (SQR) driven by an intense laser field is presented within the single active electron approximation. The spectrum is studied by varying the symmetry of the physical system. The standard SQR (six identical and equidistant dots in a ring) presents a 60° rotational symmetry, that in this work is broken, moving or changing only one potential hole. We find that careful designed breaking of the geometrical symmetry of the SQR opens the possibility of controlling the characteristics of the harmonic lines such as intensity and polarization. HHG analysis of the emission spectrum performed through a Morlet wavelet, shows that the hig…

Strong-field physics in the molecular frame

XXI International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena 2018, UP 2018, Hamburg, Germany, 15 Jul 2018 - 20 Jul 2018; The European physical journal / Web of Conferences 205, 07002 (2019). doi:10.1051/epjconf/201920507002

Setting the photoelectron clock through molecular alignment

The interaction of strong laser fields with matter intrinsically provides a powerful tool for imaging transient dynamics with an extremely high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we study strong-field ionisation of laser-aligned molecules, and show a full real-time picture of the photoelectron dynamics in the combined action of the laser field and the molecular interaction. We demonstrate that the molecule has a dramatic impact on the overall strong-field dynamics: it sets the clock for the emission of electrons with a given rescattering kinetic energy. This result represents a benchmark for the seminal statements of molecular-frame strong-field physics and has strong impact on the interpreta…

High harmonic generation from structured nanorings

Laser driven structured quantum rings

In this work we study harmonic emission from structured quantum rings (SQRs). In SQRs, electrons trapped in two-dimensional structures are further confined by an external potential composed of N scattering centers arranged on a circle. We build a suitable one-dimensional model Hamiltonian describing this class of systems and analytically solve the associated Schödinger equation. We find that the solution can be expressed in terms of Mathieu functions and focus on the specific case of N = 6. By exactly solving the time-dependent Schödinger equation, we then show how the harmonic response to linearly polarized lasers strongly depends on the ring physical parameters. The results illustrate how…

Classical chaos and harmonic generation in laser driven nanorings

A quantum ring driven by an intense laser field emits light in the form of high-harmonic radiation resulting from the strong acceleration experienced by the active electrons forced to move on a curved trajectory. The spectrum of the emitted light is rich and strongly dependent on the parameters of the problem. In order to investigate the physical origin of such variability, we focus on the seemingly simple problem of a laser-driven charge constrained to a ring from a classical standpoint. As it turns out, the dynamics of such a classical electron is governed by a nonlinear equation which results into a chaotic motion - by nature depending on the initial conditions in an unpredictable way. O…

The influence of the quantum nature of nuclei in high harmonic generation from H$_2^+$-like molecular ions

We study the full quantum dynamics of a simple molecular ion driven by an intense laser field. In particular we show that the quantum nature of the nuclear dynamics affects the emitted high harmonic generation (HHG) spectra, strongly reshaping the plateau region. In fact, it is evident that the characteristic flat trend is transformed into a descending trend, with the lower harmonics being two orders of magnitude more intense than the higher harmonics. We show that this effect is more pronounced in the lighter isotopic species of H$_2^+$ molecular ions and we also demonstrate that in this case the contribution to HHG from the antibonding electronic energetic surface is of the same order of …

Quantum ring: HHG spectrum control

Atoms, molecules , clusters and other systems driven by a strong laser field of frequency \omega_L can emit a spectrum of laser harmonics. The high harmonics generation (HHG) phenomen is strongly affected by the symmetries of the system. It is well known that systems with rotational symmetries emit only odd harmonics. Numerous researcher make mainly attention to the possibilities to set different initial conditions in order to control the spectrum. Recently, the study of nanotechnology is hot-topics and in particular the study of very symmetric systems such as fullerene, nanoring and structured nanoring (nanoring with identical and symmetric scattering centers). Therefore, it is natural and…