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Chin. Phys. B, 2026, Vol. 35(4): 043201    DOI: 10.1088/1674-1056/ae1951
TOPICAL REVIEW — Ultrafast physics in atomic, molecular and optical systems Prev   Next  

Measuring the Coulomb time shift in high-order harmonic generation

Shengjun Yue(岳生俊)1, Siqi Song(宋思琦)1, Ruofeng Zhong(钟若峰)1, Jiangkun Li(李江坤)1,2, Haiyuan Yu(于海元)1,†, and Hongchuan Du(杜洪川)1,‡
1 School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
2 Airborne Survey and Remote Sensing Center of Nuclear Industry, Shijiazhuang 050002, China
Abstract  High-order harmonic generation (HHG), a key nonlinear phenomenon in strong-field physics, enables ultrafast detection on the attosecond timescale. Quantifying ionization/recombination times is essential for trajectory-resolved high-harmonic spectroscopy and for benchmarking its temporal resolution. In this review, we summarize our recent studies [Phys. Rev. A 105 L041103 (2022), Phys. Rev. A 106 023117 (2022), Phys. Rev. A 107 063102 (2023), Phys. Rev. A 111 039902 (2025)] on the role of electron-core interactions in HHG. Employing the classical trajectory model, analytical R-matrix theory, and numerical solutions of time-dependent Schrödinger equations for helium, we reveal how Coulomb attraction induces subtle shifts in ionization and recombination times. Such effects emerge as observable signatures under orthogonally polarized bichromatic fields at high probe frequencies. Because of the direct experimental relevance of these findings, this review seeks to stimulate further experimental efforts to control and resolve electron dynamics in HHG. In the future, it will be of great interest to (i) refine retrieval methods by incorporating Coulomb corrections beyond the static-field approximation, and (ii) advance two-color detection techniques with the capability to reconstruct complete quantum trajectories in HHG.
Keywords:  high-order harmonic generation      ultrafast electron dynamics      Coulomb effects      attosecond science  
Received:  16 August 2025      Revised:  28 October 2025      Accepted manuscript online:  30 October 2025
PACS:  32.80.Qk (Coherent control of atomic interactions with photons)  
  42.65.Ky (Frequency conversion; harmonic generation, including higher-order harmonic generation)  
  42.65.-k (Nonlinear optics)  
  42.65.Re (Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression)  
Fund: They also acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12204209 and 12274188), Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province (Grant No. 23JRRA1090), Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (Grant No. lzujbky-2023-ey08), and Cultivation Project for Outstanding Young Teachers in Anhui Provincial Universities (Grant No. YQYB2025099).
Corresponding Authors:  Haiyuan Yu, Hongchuan Du     E-mail:  yuhy22@lzu.edu.cn;duhch@lzu.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Shengjun Yue(岳生俊), Siqi Song(宋思琦), Ruofeng Zhong(钟若峰), Jiangkun Li(李江坤), Haiyuan Yu(于海元), and Hongchuan Du(杜洪川) Measuring the Coulomb time shift in high-order harmonic generation 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 043201

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