High-order harmonic generation from field-distorted orbitals

TL;DR

This paper explores how laser-induced orbital distortion affects high-order harmonic generation in N2 molecules, proposing experimental conditions to observe the two-center interference minimum previously unobserved.

Contribution

It introduces a model including orbital distortion effects in high-order harmonic generation calculations for N2, explaining the absence of the two-center interference minimum.

Findings

Orbital distortion explains the missing two-center interference minimum.

Proposed experimental parameters could enable observation of the interference minimum.

Field-distortion significantly impacts high-order harmonic generation in molecules.

Abstract

We investigate the effect on high-order harmonic generation of the distortion of molecular orbitals by the driving laser field. Calculations for high-order harmonic generation including orbital distortion are performed for N2. Our results allow us to suggest that field-distortion is the reason why the two-center interference minimum has never been observed experimentally in N2. We propose experimental parameters which should allow an observation of the two-center interference minimum.