Unveiling Liquid Secrets: Intense Lasers Illuminate Electron Dynamics
Researchers have used intense laser fields to investigate electron dynamics in liquids, shedding light on the high-harmonic spectrum and the role of the electron's mean free path in determining photon energy limits. By studying the behavior of liquids under intense laser irradiation, the team discovered that the maximum photon energy obtained through high-harmonic generation (HHG) in liquids is independent of the laser's wavelength. They identified the electron's mean free path as the crucial factor that imposes a ceiling on photon energy and developed an analytical model to account for electron scattering. This research provides new insights into ultrafast dynamics in liquids and establishes HHG as a spectroscopic tool for studying electron behavior in this phase of matter.