Attosecond probing of vibrational dynamics with high-harmonic generation

Full text: The numerical solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation for vibrating hydrogen molecules in few-cycle laser pulses shows that high-harmonic generation is highly sensitive to the laser-induced vibrational motion. More intense harmonics are generated in heavier isotopes, the difference increasing with the harmonic frequency. Incorporation of the vibrational motion into the Lewenstein model of harmonic generation reveals a dependence of the harmonics on the vibrational autocorrelation function. With the help of a genetic algorithm, the nuclear motion can be reconstructed from the harmonic spectra with attosecond time resolution. (author)