Model for atomic dielectric response in strong, time-dependent laser fields
A nonlocal quantum-mechanical model is presented for calculating the atomic dielectric response to a strong laser electric field. By replacing the Coulomb potential with a nonlocal potential in the Schr\"odinger equation, a 3 + 1-dimensional calculation of the time-dependent electric dipole moment can be reformulated as a 0 + 1-dimensional integral equation that retains the three-dimensional dynamics, while offering significant computational savings. The model is benchmarked against an established ionization model and ab initio simulation of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. The reduced computational overhead makes the model a promising candidate to incorporate full quantum-mechanical time dynamics in laser pulse propagation simulations.