Intense laser technologies generate light with unprecedented and growing intensities. The possibility emerges that a nucleus responds nonlinearly to an intense light field, pointing to an emerging research area of nuclear nonlinear optics. Here we consider two-photon and three-photon absorption (with subsequent disintegration) processes of the deuteron, the simplest and the most fundamental nontrivial nucleus, as prototypes of nuclear nonlinear optical effects. Novel observable effects are predicted. Two-photon and three-photon absorptions are shown to lead to remarkably different angular distributions compared to one-photon absorption. Absorption rates are calculated supporting the feasibility of near-future experimental realization. This work paves a way to the emerging field of nuclear nonlinear optics.

强激光技术产生前所未有且不断增长的光强度。核对强光场做出非线性响应的可能性出现了，这指向了核非线性光学的新兴研究领域。在这里，我们将氘核（最简单和最基本的非平凡原子核）的双光子和三光子吸收（随后分解）过程视为核非线性光学效应的原型。预测了新的可观察效果。与单光子吸收相比，双光子和三光子吸收显示出明显不同的角分布。吸收率的计算支持近期实验实现的可行性。这项工作为新兴的核非线性光学领域铺平了道路。