6533b85bfe1ef96bd12bac39

RESEARCH PRODUCT

High-field quantum calculation reveals time-dependent negative Kerr contribution

Edouard HertzPierre BéjotBruno LavorelOlivier FaucherJérôme KasparianEric CormierJean-pierre Wolf

subject

PhysicsQuantum PhysicsKerr effectAtomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)FOS: Physical sciencesGeneral Physics and AstronomyElectronddc:500.2Polarization (waves)01 natural sciencesIonSchrödinger equationPhysics - Atomic Physics010309 opticssymbols.namesakeIonization0103 physical sciencessymbolsAtomic physicsQuantum Physics (quant-ph)010306 general physicsQuantumExcitationOptics (physics.optics)Physics - Optics

description

The exact quantum time-dependent optical response of hydrogen under strong field near infrared excitation is investigated and compared to the perturbative model widely used for describing the effective atomic polarization induced by intense laser fields. By solving the full 3D time-dependent Schr\"{o}dinger equation, we exhibit a supplementary, quasi-instantaneous defocusing contribution missing in the weak-field model of polarization. We show that this effect is far from being negligible in particular when closures of ionization channels occur and stems from the interaction of electrons with their parent ions. It provides an interpretation to higher-order Kerr effect recently observed in various gases.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2013-01-22
10.1103/physrevlett.110.043902http://arxiv.org/abs/1206.4906