Even-Harmonic Generation due to Beyond-Born-Oppenheimer Dynamics

We calculate the harmonic spectrum generated by a model HD molecule in a strong laser pulse. The unequal nuclear masses lead to the emission of even harmonics, i.e., photon frequencies which are even multiples of the laser frequency. The effect does not occur within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. In the high-frequency region, the even harmonics are almost of the same order of magnitude as the odd ones.