Ab initio calculations of laser-atom interactions revealing harmonics feedback during macroscopic propagation

Abstract

We couple the full 3D ab initio quantum evolution of the light pulse polarization in interaction with an atom with a propagation model to simulate the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses over macroscopic dimensions, in the presence of self-generated harmonics up to order 11. We evidence a clear feedback of the generated harmonics on propagation, with an influence on the ionization probability as well as the yield of the harmonic generation itself.

Optical Carrier-Wave Subcycle Structures Associated with Supercritical Collapse of Long-Wavelength Intense Pulses Propagating in Weakly Anomalously Dispersive Media

“…Unfortunately, this is currently beyond the capability of existing computational resources for the situation discussed here. State of the art simulations include (3 þ 1) Maxwell coupled to a Schrödinger equation confined to extremely small micron-scale volumes limited to a 10 μm propagation distance [19] and, more recently, a (1 þ 1) unidirectional propagator coupled to a H atom Schrödinger equation was simulated in [20], albeit over millimeter propagation distances. With the recent emergence of numerous experimental techniques capable of directly resolving optical carrier waves (for instance, see [21][22][23][24]), we anticipate that these subcycle structures should be readily observable, especially for the long wavelengths under consideration here.…”