A Rotating-Frame Perspective on High-Harmonic Generation of Circularly Polarized Light

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rotating-frame approach to understand and optimize high-harmonic generation of circularly polarized light, revealing new strategies for spectral control and emulation of static electromagnetic fields.

Contribution

The study presents a novel rotating-frame perspective that relates circular harmonic spectra to static field analogs, enhancing control and understanding of high-harmonic generation.

Findings

Optimal strategies for maximizing high-harmonic cutoff.

Spectral separation of circular components achieved.

Emulation of static fields using dynamic circular/elliptical drivers.

Abstract

We employ a rotating frame of reference to elucidate high-harmonic generation of circularly polarized light by bicircular driving fields. In particular, we show how the experimentally observed circular components of the high-harmonic spectrum can be directly related to the corresponding quantities in the rotating frame. Supported by numerical simulations of the time-dependent Schr\"{o}dinger equation, we deduce an optimal strategy for maximizing the cutoff in the high-harmonic plateau while keeping the two circular components of the emitted light spectrally distinct. Moreover, we show how the rotating-frame picture can be more generally employed for elliptical drivers. Finally, we point out how circular and elliptical driving fields show a near-duality to static electric and static magnetic fields in a rotating-frame description. This demonstrates how high-harmonic generation of circularly polarized light under static electromagnetic fields can be emulated in practice even at static field strengths beyond current experimental capabilities.