Abstract
We perform an accurate polarimetry measurement of high-order harmonic emission from aligned molecules. We find that harmonic emission from can be strongly elliptically polarized even when driven by linearly polarized laser fields. These data have broad implications for understanding molecules in strong fields because they cannot be explained by simple theories based on the strong field approximation and single active electron models. Finally, this work also shows that it is possible to engineer the polarization properties of harmonic emission by carefully preparing a molecular medium.
- Received 29 August 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.073902
©2009 American Physical Society