Universality of returning electron wave packet in high-order harmonic generation with midinfrared laser pulses

Phys Rev Lett. 2014 Jul 18;113(3):033001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.033001. Epub 2014 Jul 15.

Abstract

We show that a returning electron wave packet in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) with midinfrared laser pulses converges to a universal limit for a laser wavelength above about 3 μm. The results are consistent among the different methods: a numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, the strong-field approximation, and the quantum orbits theory. We further analyze how the contribution from different electron "trajectories" survives the macroscopic propagation in the medium. Our result thus provides a new framework for investigating the wavelength scaling law for the HHG yields.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Electromagnetic Radiation*
  • Electrons*
  • Infrared Rays*
  • Lasers
  • Quantum Theory*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Titanium / chemistry

Substances

  • Titanium