We assess the suitability of quantum and semiclassical initial-value representations (IVRs), exemplified by the coupled coherent states (CCS) method and the Herman-Kluk (HK) propagator, respectively, for modeling the dynamics of an electronic wave packet in a strong laser field, if this wave packet is initially bound. Using Wigner quasiprobability distributions and ensembles of classical trajectories, we identify signatures of over-the-barrier and tunnel ionization in phase space for static and time-dependent fields and the relevant sets of phasespace trajectories to model such features. Overall, we find good agreement with the full solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) for Wigner distributions constructed with both IVRs. Our results indicate that the HK propagator does not fully account for tunneling and over-the-barrier reflections. This leads to a dephasing in the time-dependent wave function, which becomes more pronounced for longer times. However, it is able to partly reproduce features associated with the wave packet crossing classically forbidden regions, although the trajectories employed in its construction always obey classical phase-space constraints. We also show that the CCS method represents a fully quantum initial value representation and accurately reproduces the results of a standard TDSE solver. Finally, we show that the HK propagator may be successfully employed to compute the time-dependent dipole acceleration and high-harmonic spectra. Nevertheless, the outcome of the semiclassical computation exhibits disagreements with the TDSE, as a consequence of the previously mentioned dephasing.

No abstract

With the recently introduced concept of dominant interaction Hamiltonians, we construct numerically as well as analytically the spectrum of high harmonics (HH) generated in electron-ion scattering under an intense laser field. This is achieved by switching the interaction along classical electron trajectories between the integrable cases of the dipole coupled laser field or the ionic potential, depending on which potential is stronger. As a side effect, the intrinsically chaotic character of the dynamics is mapped onto the potential switching sequence while the trajectories become regular. As a consequence, only a few per cent of the trajectories needed in full semiclassical calculations are sufficient to construct the HH spectrum.

We investigate high-order harmonic generation in inhomogeneous media for reduced dimensionality models. We perform a phase-space analysis, in which we identify specific features caused by the field inhomogeneity. We compute high-order harmonic spectra using the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, and provide an interpretation in terms of classical electron trajectories. We show that the dynamics of the system can be described by the interplay of high-frequency and slow-frequency oscillations, which are given by Mathieu's equations. The latter oscillations lead to an increase in the cutoff energy, and, for small values of the inhomogeneity parameter, take place over many driving-field cycles. In this case, the two processes can be decoupled and the oscillations can be described analytically.