Polarization effects in harmonic generation from solid surfaces

Investigations on polarization effects in harmonic gerneration from solid s urfaces were performed in the intensity range 10(13)-10(15) W cm(-2) 27 ps Nd:glass laser pulses. For an obliquely incident p-polarized laser beam, se cond, third and fourth harmonics were observed in the specular reflection d irection with intensity scaling exponents of 1.5, 1.8 and 3.8 respectively. Second and third harmonic radiation generated using an s-polarized pump wa s about ten and hundred times smaller respectively compared to that for the p-polarized laser radiation. While the second harmonic produced by the p-p olarized pump was almost fully p-polarized, that for the s-polarized pump h ad p- and s-components in the proportion of about 1 : 2, Faraday rotation o bserved in the polarization of reflected fundamental radiation can explain the relative harmonic yields for the p- and s-polarizations of the pump bea m and the polarization structure of the second harmonic radiation.