High-order harmonic generation in Xe, Kr, and Ar driven by a 2.1-μm source: High-order harmonic spectroscopy under macroscopic effects

We experimentally and numerically study the atomic response and pulse propagation effects of high-order harmonics generated in Xe, Kr, and Ar driven by a 2.1-mu m infrared femtosecond light source. The light source is an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier, and a modified strong-field approximation and three-dimensional pulse propagation code are used for the numerical simulations. The extended cutoff in the long-wavelength-driven high-order harmonic generation has revealed the spectral shaping of high-order harmonics due to the atomic structure (or photorecombination cross section) and the macroscopic effects, which are the main factors of determining the conversion efficiency besides the driving wavelength. Using precise numerical simulations to determine the macroscopic electron wave packet, we are able to extract the photorecombination cross sections from experimental high-order harmonic spectra in the presence of macroscopic effects. We have experimentally observed that the macroscopic effects shift the observed Cooper minimum of Kr from 80 eV to 60-70 eV and wash out the Cooper minimum of Ar. Measured high-harmonic conversion efficiencies per harmonic near the cutoff are similar to 10(-9) for all three gases.