High harmonic generation via continuum wave-packet interference

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Nov 12;105(20):203902. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.203902. Epub 2010 Nov 11.

Abstract

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) is investigated theoretically in the over-the-barrier ionization regime revealing the strong signature of interference between two separately ionized and separately propagating free wave packets of a single electron. The interference leads to the emission of coherent light at a photon energy corresponding to the kinetic-energy difference of the two recolliding electron quantum paths, thus complementary to the well-known classical three-step picture of HHG. As will be shown by time-frequency analysis of the emitted radiation, the process entirely dominates the coherent HHG emission after the atomic ground state has been depleted by a strong field. Moreover, it can be isolated from the continuum-bound harmonics via phase matching.