Signatures of double-electron re-combination in high-order harmonic generation driven by spatially inhomogeneous fields

TL;DR

This paper investigates how double-electron recombination influences high-order harmonic generation in two-electron systems under spatially inhomogeneous fields, revealing new insights into multi-electronic strong field processes.

Contribution

It demonstrates that double non-sequential two-electron recombination extends the HHG cutoff, using a combination of numerical TDSE simulations and classical trajectory analysis.

Findings

Double-electron recombination extends the HHG cutoff.

The process depends on the atomic target, differing between hydrogen and helium.

Spatially inhomogeneous fields influence multi-electronic dynamics.

Abstract

We present theoretical studies of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) driven by plasmonic fields in two-electron atomic systems. Comparing the two-active electron and single-active electron approximation models of the negative hydrogen ion atom, we provide strong evidence that a double non-sequential two-electron recombination appears to be the main responsible for the HHG cutoff extension. Our analysis is carried out by means of a reduced one-dimensional numerical integration of the two-electron time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation (TDSE), and on investigations of the classical electron trajectories resulting from the Newton's equation of motion. Additional comparisons between the negative hydrogen ion and the helium atom suggest that the double recombination process depends distinctly on the atomic target. Our research paves the way to the understanding of strong field processes in multi-electronic systems driven by spatially inhomogeneous fields.