High-order harmonic generation in a driven two-level atom: Periodic level crossings and three-step processes

We investigate high-order harmonic generation in closed systems using the two-level atom as a simplified model. By means of a windowed Fourier transform of the time-dependent dipole acceleration, we extract the main contributions to this process within a cycle of the driving field. We show that the patterns obtained can be understood by establishing a parallel between the two-level atom and the three-step model. In both models, high-order harmonic generation is a consequence of a three-step process, which involves either the continuum and the ground state, or the adiabatic states of the two-level Hamiltonian. The knowledge of this physical mechanism allows us to manipulate the adiabatic states, and consequently the harmonic spectra, by means of a bichromatic driving field. Furthermore, using scaling laws, we establish sharp criteria for the invariance of the physical quantities involved. Consequently, our results can be extended to a broader parameter range, as, for instance, those characteristic of solid-state systems in strong fields.