Static-electric-field-induced polarization effects in harmonic generation

Two static-electric-field-induced effects on harmonic generation are demons trated analytically and numerically: elliptic dichroism (in which the harmo nic yield is different for right and left elliptically polarized laser fiel ds) and elliptical polarization of harmonics produced by linearly polarized driving laser fields. Both effects stem from interference of real and imag inary parts of the nonlinear atomic susceptibilities. Possibilities for exp erimentally measuring these effects are discussed.