Strong-field physics driven by quantum light

High harmonic generation (HHG) is an extremely nonlinear process in which matter is driven by intense light to emit coherent ultraviolet and X-ray radiation. Until recently, all HHG experiments employed classical laser light (i.e., light in a Glauber coherent state) as the driving field. However, following advances in the generation of intense ultrashort pulses of squeezed light [1], driving extremely nonlinear processes using non-classical light has become experimentally feasible [2] – paving the way toward a new era of strong-field quantum optics, and quantum-optical attosecond science.

This talk presents recent advances [2-6] in HHG and strong-field physics driven by quantum light. Firstly, we show that squeezed states of light, such as bright squeezed vacuum, can dramatically modify the HHG spectrum. Then, we show that the photon statistics of the driving field steer the underlying electronic trajectories of HHG through an effective photon statistics force. In turn, the altered trajectories modulate the emitted attosecond pulses. Finally, I will discuss the relation between quantum state of the driving IR field and the emitted XUV radiation, enabling, for example, the generation of squeezed high harmonics, if driven by squeezed light.

[1] T. Sh. Iskhakov, et al, Opt. Lett. 37, 1919-1921 (2012)
[2] Rasputnyi, A, et al, arXiv:2403.15337 (2024)
[3] Even Tzur, M, et al, Nat. Photon. (2023)
[4] Gorlach, A†, Even Tzur, M†, et al, Nat. Phys. (2023)
[5] Even Tzur, M., Cohen, O., Light : Science and Applications (2024)
[6] Even Tzur, M, et al, arXiv : 2311.11257 (2023)