Study of a plane-wave final-state theory of above-threshold ionization and harmonic generation

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Abstract
We compare the predictions of a plane-wave final-state theory of above-threshold ionization with the results of a numerical integration of Schrödinger's equation. Good qualitative agreement between the model and the numerical integration is observed up to laser intensities of 1014 cm−2 in three-photon ionization of the 1s state of atomic hydrogen. The plane-wave final-state model is also used to calculate the power spectrum of light radiated by the single atom in intense fields, again with good agreement between the model and the numerical integration. The results demonstrate the importance of the above-threshold ionization transitions in accurate calculations of power spectra of radiated light. When the atom is modeled with bound states alone, without the above-threshold ionization inherent in the plane-wave final state, then agreement between the model and the full numerical integration is poor.