Spatial Mode Control of High-Order Harmonics

We demonstrate that the spatial mode of high-order harmonics can be continuously controlled. The control is achieved by spatially modulating the degree of elliptical polarization of the fundamental field using birefringent optics. A highly sensitive relationship between the efficiency of harmonic generation and the degree of laser elliptical polarization leads to atoms emitting harmonics only in regions of linear polarization. The harmonics are emitted as annular beams whose angles of divergence can be continuously varied. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society