Circularly Polarized Attosecond Pulses and Molecular Atto-Magnetism

TL;DR

This paper explores methods to generate circularly polarized attosecond pulses using molecular high-order harmonic generation, enabling ultrafast magnetic field pulses for molecular atto-magnetism applications.

Contribution

It introduces novel schemes combining counter-rotating circular pulses to produce circularly polarized attosecond pulses and magnetic field pulses in molecules.

Findings

Counter-rotating pulses produce high-frequency recollisions and new harmonics.

Generated attosecond pulses can induce ultrashort magnetic field pulses.

Methods enable control of molecular electronic currents on attosecond timescales.

Abstract

Various schemes are presented for the generation of circularly polarized molecular high-order harmonic generation (MHOHG) from molecules. In particular it is shown that combinations of counter-rotating circularly polarized pulses produce the lowest frequency Coriolis forces with the highest frequency recollisions, thus generating new harmonics which are the source of circular polarized attosecond pulses (CPAPs). These can be used to generate circularly polarized electronic currents in molecular media on attosecond time scale. Molecular attosecond currents allow then for the generation of ultrashort magnetic field pulses on the attosecond time scale, new tools for molecular atto-magnetism (MOLAM).