102 research outputs found
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Kinematic origin for near-zero energy structures in mid-IR strong field ionization
We propose and discuss a kinematic mechanism underlying the recently discovered 'near-zero energy structure' in the photoionization of atoms in strong mid-infrared laser fields, based on trajectories which revisit the ion at low velocities exactly analogous to the series responsible for low-energy structures. The different scaling of the new series, as , suggests that the near-zero energy structure can be lifted to higher energies, where it can be better resolved and studied, using harder targets with higher ionization potential
Spin conservation in high-order-harmonic generation using bicircular fields
We present an alternative theoretical model for a recent experiment
[A.Fleischer et al., Nature Photon. 8, 543 (2014)] which used bichromatic,
counter-rotating high intensity laser pulses to probe the conservation of spin
angular momentum in high harmonic generation. We separate elliptical
polarizations into independent circular fields with definite angular momentum,
instead of using the expectation value of spin for each photon in the
conservation equation, and we find good agreement with the experimental
results. In our description the generation of each individual harmonic
conserves spin angular momentum, in contrast to the model proposed by Fleischer
et al. Our model also correctly describes analogous processes in standard
perturbative optics.Comment: Final changes from published version. Updated license to CC-BY-NC-S
On the Spectrum of Field Quadratures for a Finite Number of Photons
The spectrum and eigenstates of any field quadrature operator restricted to a
finite number of photons are studied, in terms of the Hermite polynomials.
By (naturally) defining \textit{approximate} eigenstates, which represent
highly localized wavefunctions with up to photons, one can arrive at an
appropriate notion of limit for the spectrum of the quadrature as goes to
infinity, in the sense that the limit coincides with the spectrum of the
infinite-dimensional quadrature operator. In particular, this notion allows the
spectra of truncated phase operators to tend to the complete unit circle, as
one would expect. A regular structure for the zeros of the Christoffel-Darboux
kernel is also shown.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure
Conservation laws for electron vortices in strong-field ionisation
We investigate twisted electrons with a well-defined orbital angular momentum, which have been ionised via a strong laser field. By formulating a new variant of the well-known strong field approximation, we are able to derive conservation laws for the angular momenta of twisted electrons in the cases of linear and circularly polarised fields. In the case of linear fields, we demonstrate that the orbital angular momentum of the twisted electron is determined by the magnetic quantum number of the initial bound state. The condition for the circular field can be related to the famous ATI peaks, and provides a new interpretation for this fundamental feature of photoelectron spectra. We find the length of the circular pulse to be a vital factor in this selection rule and, employing an effective frequency, we show that the photoelectron OAM emission spectra are sensitive to the parity of the number of laser cycles. This work provides the basic theoretical framework with which to understand the OAM of a photoelectron undergoing strong field ionisation
Conservation laws for electron vortices in strong-field ionisation
We investigate twisted electrons with a well-defined orbital angular momentum, which have been ionised via a strong laser field. By formulating a new variant of the well-known strong field approximation, we are able to derive conservation laws for the angular momenta of twisted electrons in the cases of linear and circularly polarised fields. In the case of linear fields, we demonstrate that the orbital angular momentum of the twisted electron is determined by the magnetic quantum number of the initial bound state. The condition for the circular field can be related to the famous ATI peaks, and provides a new interpretation for this fundamental feature of photoelectron spectra. We find the length of the circular pulse to be a vital factor in this selection rule and, employing an effective frequency, we show that the photoelectron OAM emission spectra are sensitive to the parity of the number of laser cycles. This work provides the basic theoretical framework with which to understand the OAM of a photoelectron undergoing strong field ionisation
Generation of optical Schrödinger cat states in intense laser-matter interactions
The physics of intense laser–matter interactions1,2 is described by treating the light pulses classically, anticipating no need to access optical measurements beyond the classical limit. However, the quantum nature of the electromagnetic fields is always present3. Here we demonstrate that intense laser–atom interactions may lead to the generation of highly non-classical light states. This was achieved by using the process of high-harmonic generation in atoms4,5, in which the photons of a driving laser pulse of infrared frequency are upconverted into photons of higher frequencies in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The quantum state of the fundamental mode after the interaction, when conditioned on the high-harmonic generation, is a so-called Schrödinger cat state, which corresponds to a superposition of two distinct coherent states: the initial state of the laser and the coherent state reduced in amplitude that results from the interaction with atoms. The results open the path for investigations towards the control of the non-classical states, exploiting conditioning approaches on physical processes relevant to high-harmonic generation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Quantum optical analysis of high-order harmonic generation in H molecular ions
We present a comprehensive theoretical investigation of high-order harmonic
generation in H molecular ions within a quantum optical framework. Our
study focuses on characterizing various quantum optical and quantum information
measures, highlighting the versatility of HHG in two-center molecules towards
quantum technology applications. We demonstrate the emergence of entanglement
between electron and light states after the laser-matter interaction. We also
identify the possibility of obtaining non-classical states of light in targeted
frequency modes by conditioning on specific electronic quantum states, which
turn out to be crucial in the generation of highly non-classical entangled
states between distinct sets of harmonic modes. Our findings open up avenues
for studying strong-laser field-driven interactions in molecular systems, and
suggest their applicability to quantum technology applications.Comment: 21 pages (14 main text + 7 appendix), 9 figures (8 main text + 1
appendix
Light with a self-torque: extreme-ultraviolet beams with time-varying orbital angular momentum
Twisted light fields carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) provide powerful
capabilities for applications in optical communications, microscopy, quantum
optics and microparticle rotation. Here we introduce and experimentally
validate a new class of light beams, whose unique property is associated with a
temporal OAM variation along a pulse: the self-torque of light. Self-torque is
a phenomenon that can arise from matter-field interactions in electrodynamics
and general relativity, but to date, there has been no optical analog. In
particular, the self-torque of light is an inherent property, which is
distinguished from the mechanical torque exerted by OAM beams when interacting
with physical systems. We demonstrate that self-torqued beams in the
extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) naturally arise as a necessary consequence of angular
momentum conservation in non-perturbative high-order harmonic generation when
driven by time-delayed pulses with different OAM. In addition, the
time-dependent OAM naturally induces an azimuthal frequency chirp, which
provides a signature for monitoring the self-torque of high-harmonic EUV beams.
Such self-torqued EUV beams can serve as unique tools for imaging magnetic and
topological excitations, for launching selective excitation of quantum matter,
and for manipulating molecules and nanostructures on unprecedented time and
length scales.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure
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