Orbital symmetry and interference effects in molecular high-order harmonic generation

We investigate harmonic generation from H{sub 2}{sup +} molecules driven by intense few-cycle laser pulses whose linearly polarization axis makes an arbitrary angle {chi} with respect to the molecular axis. The H{sub 2}{sup +} molecule is considered initially in various orbitals with nodal planes. I...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, 2009-10, Vol.80 (4), Article 041403
Main Authors: Lagmago Kamta, G., Bandrauk, A. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ELECTRONS
HARMONIC GENERATION
HARMONICS
HYDROGEN IONS 2 PLUS
INTERFERENCE
LASERS
MOLECULAR ORBITAL METHOD
MOLECULES
ORIENTATION
PHOTOIONIZATION
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
POLARIZATION
RECOMBINATION
SYMMETRY
VISIBLE RADIATION
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Summary:We investigate harmonic generation from H{sub 2}{sup +} molecules driven by intense few-cycle laser pulses whose linearly polarization axis makes an arbitrary angle {chi} with respect to the molecular axis. The H{sub 2}{sup +} molecule is considered initially in various orbitals with nodal planes. It is found that a strong enhancement of high-order harmonics (HOHs) occurs when the laser polarization axis overlaps with major axes of electron distribution in the active orbital, while broad suppression of HOHs occurs when the laser polarization axis is parallel to a nodal plane of the active molecular orbital. We show that this harmonic suppression is enhanced by destructive interferences when the nodal and the laser polarization axes are parallel to the internuclear axis, which leads to a shortening of the harmonic cutoff. It follows that the orientation dependence of HOHs intensities mimics the electronic density in active orbitals through the angular dependence of ionization and recombination processes.
ISSN:1050-2947
1094-1622
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.80.041403