High-order-harmonic generation from Rydberg atoms driven by plasmon-enhanced laser fields

Y. Tikman, I. Yavuz, M. F. Ciappina, A. Chacón, Z. Altun, and M. Lewenstein
Phys. Rev. A 93, 023410 – Published 10 February 2016

Abstract

We theoretically investigate high-order-harmonic generation (HHG) in Rydberg atoms driven by spatially inhomogeneous laser fields, induced, for instance, by plasmonic enhancement. It is well known that the laser intensity should exceed a certain threshold in order to stimulate HHG when noble gas atoms in their ground state are used as an active medium. One way to enhance the coherent light coming from a conventional laser oscillator is to take advantage of the amplification obtained by the so-called surface plasmon polaritons, created when a low-intensity laser field is focused onto a metallic nanostructure. The main limitation of this scheme is the low damage threshold of the materials employed in the nanostructure engineering. In this work we propose the use of Rydberg atoms, driven by spatially inhomogeneous, plasmon-enhanced laser fields, for HHG. We exhaustively discuss the behavior and efficiency of these systems in the generation of coherent harmonic emission. Toward this aim we numerically solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for an atom, with an electron initially in a highly excited nth Rydberg state, located in the vicinity of a metallic nanostructure. In this zone the electric field changes spatially on scales relevant for the dynamics of the laser-ionized electron. We first use a one-dimensional model to investigate systematically the phenomena. We then employ a more realistic situation, in which the interaction of a plasmon-enhanced laser field with a three-dimensional hydrogen atom is modeled. We discuss the scaling of the relevant input parameters with the principal quantum number n of the Rydberg state in question and demonstrate that harmonic emission can be achieved from Rydberg atoms well below the damage threshold, thus without deterioration of the geometry and properties of the metallic nanostructure.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
2 More
  • Received 1 June 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.93.023410

©2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

  1. Research Areas
Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Y. Tikman1,*, I. Yavuz1, M. F. Ciappina2, A. Chacón3, Z. Altun1, and M. Lewenstein3,4

  • 1Physics Department, Marmara University, Ziverbey, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey
  • 2Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
  • 3Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Avenida Carl Friedrich Gauss 3, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
  • 4Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain

  • *yavuztikman@marun.edu.tr

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 93, Iss. 2 — February 2016

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review A

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×