Control of odd and even harmonic generation by bichromatic elliptically polarized fields

Abstract

Abstract Using the CO molecule as target, we investigate high-order harmonic generation by a bichromatic elliptically polarized laser field. This field consists of two elliptically polarized components with the commensurable frequencies and mutually orthogonal semi-major axes. Both odd and even harmonics are emitted and their ellipticity can be large depending on the values of the laser-field parameters. It is often the case that the ellipticity of subsequent odd and even harmonics is substantially different so that, in order to produce a series of high-order harmonics with similar ellipticity, it is beneficial if the emission of odd or even harmonics is suppressed. In this paper we explore how this can be achieved using the ellipticity of the laser-field components and the relative phase as control parameters. For some values of these parameters it is possible to produce a comb of odd or even harmonics with similar ellipticity. These harmonics can later be employed for various applications the example of which is the generation of an elliptically polarized attosecond pulse train.