Circularly Polarized Molecular High Harmonic Generation Using a Bicircular Laser

TL;DR

This paper explores how molecules can generate circularly polarized high harmonics when driven by bicircular lasers, with a symmetry-based analysis predicting spectral features and polarization.

Contribution

It introduces a symmetry analysis framework to predict harmonic order and polarization in molecular high harmonic generation with bicircular fields.

Findings

Molecules provide a robust platform for circularly polarized harmonic generation.

Symmetry analysis accurately predicts harmonic orders and polarization states.

The approach is applicable to various target and field configurations.

Abstract

We investigate the process of circularly polarized high harmonic generation in molecules using a bicircular laser field. In this context, we show that molecules offer a very robust framework for the production of circularly polarized harmonics, provided their symmetry is compatible with that of the laser field. Using a discrete time-dependent symmetry analysis, we show how all the features (harmonic order and polarization) of spectra can be explained and predicted. The symmetry analysis is generic and can easily be applied to other target and/or field configurations.