Phase of the Atomic Polarization In High-order Harmonic-generation
A recently formulated theory of high-order harmonic generation by low-frequency laser fields [Anne L'Huillier et al., Phys. Rev. A 48, R3433 (1993)] allows us to study the phase of the induced atomic dipole moment. We show that this phase exhibits a piecewise-linear dependence on the laser intensity. This dependence can be interpreted in quasiclassical terms, and is related to the action acquired