High-order harmonic generation in molecular gases

Summary, in English

We present an experimental study of harmonic generation in molecular gases, using the fundamental (800 nm) and the second harmonic (400 nm) of a 150 fs titanium - sapphire laser at an intensity of ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img1.gif] . We compare the conversion efficiency and the maximum energy obtained in different species: rare gases (Ar, Xe), diatomic molecules ( ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img2.gif] , ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img3.gif] , ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img4.gif] , CO) and polyatomic molecules ( ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img5.gif] , ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img2.gif] O, ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img7.gif] , ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img8.gif] , ##IMG## [http://ej.iop.org/images/0953-4075/29/14/032/img9.gif] ). The harmonic spectra from molecular gases are very similar to those obtained in the atomic gases, with a plateau and a cutoff whose location is strongly correlated to the value of the ionization potential. The conversion efficiency is not higher than that of the rare gases.