Molecular alignment using circularly polarized laser pulses

Generating Isolated Elliptically Polarized Attosecond Pulses Using Bichromatic Counterrotating Circularly Polarized Laser Fields.

We theoretically demonstrate the possibility to generate both trains and isolated attosecond pulses with high ellipticity in a practical experimental setup. The scheme uses circularly polarized, counterrotating two-color driving pulses carried at the fundamental and its second harmonic. Using a model Ne atom, we numerically show that highly elliptic attosecond pulses are generated already at th...

Circularly polarized molecular high harmonic generation using a bicircular laser

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 (har...

Backscattering of circularly polarized pulses.

Using numerical simulations of vector radiative transport, we examine time-resolved backscattering of circularly polarized plane waves normally incident upon a slab containing a random distribution of latex spheres in water. For large spheres the effect of polarization memory occurs a short time after first-order scattering and before depolarization. It is the result of successive near-forward-...

Intense circularly polarized attosecond pulse generation from relativistic laser plasmas using few-cycle laser pulses.

We have investigated the polarization of attosecond light pulses generated from relativistic few-cycle laser pulse interaction with the surface of overdense plasmas using particle-in-cell simulation. Under suitable conditions, a desired polarization state of the generated attosecond pulse can be achieved by controlling the polarization of the incident laser. In particular, an elliptically polar...

Field-free molecular alignment of asymmetric top molecules using elliptically polarized laser pulses