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Published on: July 12, 2017
Role of many-electron dynamics in high harmonic generation
Ariel Gordon1, Franz X Kärtner, Nina Rohringer
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. gariel@mit.edu
Physical Review Letters
|June 29, 2006
Summary
High harmonic generation in atoms is better explained by many-electron dynamics, not simplified models. This approach matches experimental results showing stronger radiation from heavier noble gases.
Area of Science:
- Atomic physics
- Quantum mechanics
- Nonlinear optics
Background:
- High harmonic generation (HHG) is a key process in strong-field physics.
- The single active electron approximation is commonly used but has limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate high harmonic generation in many-electron atoms.
- To demonstrate the limitations of the frozen-core single active electron approximation.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical study of high harmonic generation.
- Incorporation of many-electron dynamics in a simplified approximation.
Main Results:
- The frozen-core single active electron approximation fails to reproduce experimental observations.
- Heavier noble gases show significantly stronger HHG radiation compared to lighter ones.
- Including many-electron dynamics qualitatively reproduces experimental trends.
Conclusions:
- The simplified single active electron model is inadequate for describing HHG in noble gases.
- Many-electron effects are crucial for accurately modeling HHG intensity variations across different noble gases.
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