Coulomb focusing in intense field atomic processes

Classical aspects in above-threshold ionization with a midinfrared strong laser field

We present high resolution photoelectron energy spectra of noble gas atoms from high intensity above-threshold ionization (ATI) at midinfrared wavelengths. An unexpected structure at the very low-energy portion of the spectra, in striking contrast to the prediction of the simple-man theory, has been revealed. A semiclassical model calculation is able to reproduce the experimental feature and suggests the prominent role of the Coulomb interaction of the outgoing electron with the parent ion in producing the peculiar structure in long wavelength ATI spectra.

Strong-field tunneling without ionization

In the tunneling regime of strong laser field ionization we measure a substantial fraction of neutral atoms surviving the laser pulse in excited states. The measured excited neutral atom yield extends over several orders of magnitude as a function of laser intensity. Our findings are compatible with the strong-field tunneling-plus-rescattering model, confirming the existence of a widely unexplored neutral exit channel (frustrated tunneling ionization). Strong experimental support for this mechanism as origin of excited neutral atoms stems from the dependence of the excited neutral yield on the laser ellipticity, which is as expected for a rescattering process. Theoretical support for the proposed mechanism comes from the agreement of the neutral excited state distribution centered at n = 6-10 obtained from both, a full quantum mechanical and a semiclassical calculation, in agreement with the experimental results.

Laser-induced electron tunneling and diffraction

Molecular structure is usually determined by measuring the diffraction pattern the molecule impresses on x-rays or electrons. We used a laser field to extract electrons from the molecule itself, accelerate them, and in some cases force them to recollide with and diffract from the parent ion, all within a fraction of a laser period. Here, we show that the momentum distribution of the extracted electron carries the fingerprint of the highest occupied molecular orbital, whereas the elastically scattered electrons reveal the position of the nuclear components of the molecule. Thus, in one comprehensive technology, the photoelectrons give detailed information about the electronic orbital and the position of the nuclei.

Complex dynamics of correlated electrons in molecular double ionization by an ultrashort intense laser pulse

With a semiclassical quasistatic model we achieve insight into the complex dynamics of two correlated electrons under the combined influence of a two-center Coulomb potential and an intense laser field. The model calculation is able to reproduce experimental data of nitrogen molecules for a wide range of laser intensities from the tunneling to the over-the-barrier regime, and predicts a significant alignment effect on the ratio of double over single ion yield. The classical trajectory analysis allows us to unveil subcycle molecular double ionization dynamics.

Recollision dynamics and time delay in strong-field double ionization

Three-dimensional classical ensembles are employed to study recollision dynamics in double ionization of atoms by 780-nm intense lasers. After recollision one electron typically remains bound to the atom for a portion of a laser cycle, during which time the nucleus strongly influences its direction of motion. The electron then escapes over a suppressed barrier, with its final momentum depending critically on the laser phase at escape. The other electron remains unbound after collision, and typically drifts out in a momentum hemisphere opposite from its motion just after the collision. Several example trajectories at intensity 0.4 PW/cm(2) with various time delays between recollision and ionization are presented.

Variable time lag and backward ejection in full-dimensional analysis of strong-field double ionization

Ensembles of 400,000 two-electron trajectories in three space dimensions are used with Newtonian equations of motion to track atomic double ionization under very strong laser fields. We report a variable time lag between e-e collision and double ionization, and find that the time lag plays a key role in the emergence directions of the electrons. These are precursors to production of electron momentum distributions showing substantial new agreement with experimental data.

In-plane theory of nonsequential triple ionization

We describe first-principles in-plane calculations of nonsequential triple ionization of atoms in a linearly polarized intense laser pulse. In a fully classically correlated description, all three electrons respond dynamically to the nuclear attraction, the pairwise e-e repulsions, and the laser force throughout the duration of a 780 nm laser pulse. Nonsequential ejection is shown to occur in a multielectron, possibly multicycle and multidimensional, rescattering sequence that is coordinated by a number of sharp transverse recollimation impacts.

Controlling attosecond double ionization dynamics via molecular alignment

We investigate the dynamics of double ionization in aligned nitrogen molecules. An ultrashort, weak laser pulse creates an aligned ensemble of molecules that is ionized with a subsequent, strong probe pulse. We find that the two electrons involved in nonsequential double ionization more likely exit the molecule in the same direction if it is parallel to the probe laser polarization, indicating that they are ejected within a few hundred attoseconds of each other. Double ionization is less probable and takes longer for perpendicular molecules.

Classical effects of laser pulse duration on strong-field double ionization

We use classical electron ensembles and the aligned-electron approximation to examine the effect of laser pulse duration on the dynamics of strong-field double ionization. We cover the range of intensities 10(14)-10(16) W/cm2 for the laser wavelength 780 nm. The classical scenario suggests that the highest rate of recollision occurs early in the pulse and promotes double-ionization production in few-cycle pulses. In addition, the purely classical ensemble calculation predicts an exponentially decreasing recollision rate with each subsequent half cycle. We confirm the exponential behavior by trajectory back analysis.

Nonsequential double ionization as a completely classical photoelectric effect

We introduce a unified and simplified theory of atomic double ionization. Our results show that at high laser intensities (I>/=10(14) W/cm(2)) purely classical correlation is strong enough to account for all of the main features observed in experiments to date.

Coulomb asymmetry in above-threshold ionization

A new method for including effects of the Coulomb potential in strong-field laser atom interaction is presented. The model is tested by comparing its results with experimental data of energy resolved angular distributions of photoelectrons. For elliptical polarization these exhibit a strong asymmetry. Our theory shows that this strong asymmetry for the low-energy electrons is induced by a small Coulomb force acting on the tunneling electron just after the exit of the tunnel. This is in contrast to the situation for high electron energies where the asymmetry arises via rescattering by the parent ion.

Laser-induced interference, focusing, and diffraction of rescattering molecular photoelectrons

We solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in three dimensions for H+2 in a one-cycle laser pulse of moderate intensity. We consider fixed nuclear positions and Coulomb electron-nuclear interaction potentials. We analyze the field-induced electron interference and diffraction patterns. To extract the ionization dynamics we subtract the excitations to low-lying bound states explicitly. We follow the time evolution of a well-defined wave packet that is formed near the first peak of the laser field. We observe the fragmentation of the wave packet due to molecular focusing. We show how to retrieve a diffraction molecular image by taking the ratio of the momentum distributions in the two lateral directions. The positions of the diffraction peaks are well described by the classical double slit diffraction rule.

Fully differential rates for femtosecond multiphoton double ionization of neon

We have investigated the full three-dimensional momentum correlation between the electrons emitted from strong field double ionization of neon when the recollision energy of the first electron is on the order of the ionization potential. The momentum correlation in the direction perpendicular to the laser field depends on the time difference of the two electrons leaving the ion. Our results are consistent with double ionization proceeding through transient double excited states that field ionize.

How to use lasers for imaging attosecond dynamics of nuclear processes

We identify a laser configuration in which attosecond electron wave packets are ionized, accelerated to multi-MeV energies, and refocused onto their parent ion. Magnetic focusing of the electron wave packet results in return currents comparable with large scale accelerator facilities. This technique opens an avenue towards imaging attosecond dynamics of nuclear processes.

Rescattering double ionization of D2 and H2 by intense laser pulses

We have measured momentum spectra and branching ratios of charged ionic fragments emitted in the double ionization of D2 (and H2) molecules by short intense laser pulses. We find high-energy coincident D+ (and H+) ion pairs with kinetic energy releases between 8 and 19 eV which appear for linearly polarized light but are absent for circularly polarized light. The dependence on the polarization, the energy distributions of the ions, and the dependence on laser intensity of yield ratios lead us to interpret these ion pairs as due to a rescattering mechanism for the double ionization. A quantitative model is presented which accounts for the major features of the data.

Electron-electron momentum exchange in strong field double ionization

We have investigated the momentum balance between the two electrons from strong field double ionization of argon at 780 nm and 1.9 x 10(14) W/cm(2). Experimental data show that perpendicular to the laser polarization direction the electrons emerge preferentially in opposite directions. Results of model calculations are found to agree well with the data and reveal a dominant role of the Coulomb correlation between the two outgoing electrons in this kinematical geometry. Differences between the experimental observations and the theoretical results for the ion momentum distribution indicate the importance of the further effects during the three-body breakup.

Production of energetic electrons in the process of photodetachment of F-

An imaging technique is used to record an energy and angle resolved spectrum of electrons produced by photodetachment of F- in a strong infrared laser pulse. The spectrum involves contributions from more than 23 excess photon detachment channels. Its higher energy part extends beyond the classical cutoff value, and it appears as a pronounced plateau localized within a small angle along the laser polarization axis. A Keldysh-like theory is able to qualitatively reproduce the spectrum without taking into account the rescattering mechanism. The role of the parity of the initial bound state is discussed.

S-matrix analysis of coincident measurement of two-electron energy distribution for double ionization of He in an intense laser field

Analyses of two mechanisms of double ionization of He in an intense femtosecond laser pulse are made within the S-matrix theory. Their contributions are compared with each other and with the recent data of coincidence measurements for two-electron energy distributions. It is found that the correlated energy-sharing mechanism reproduces the data remarkably well and also confirms the so-called "excessive production" of hot electrons in the process. In contrast, the shakeoff mechanism is found to fail completely to account for either the strength or the trend of the data and is therefore ruled out.

Quantum interference in double ionization and fragmentation of C(6)H(6) in intense laser fields

During tunnel ionization of atoms or molecules by strong laser fields, the electron acquires a transverse velocity which is characteristic of the ionization process. Ellipticity measurements identify nonsequential double ionization as due to recollision in C(6)H(6) and simultaneously measure the transverse velocity distribution of the electron wave packet. We observe signatures of quantum interference of different tunneling trajectories and find identical dependence of nonsequential double ionization and fragmentation of C(6)H(6) on the ellipticity of the laser polarization. This identifies electron recollision as the dominant source of fragmentation at 1.4 microm.

Few cycle dynamics of multiphoton double ionization

In intense field ionization, an electron removed from the atomic core oscillates in the combined fields of the laser and the parent ion. This oscillation forces repeated revivals of its spatial correlation with the bound electrons. The total probability of double ionization depends on the number of returns and therefore on the number of optical periods in the laser pulse. We observed the yield of Ne(2+) relative to Ne(+) with 12 fs pulses to be clearly less compared to 50 fs pulses in qualitative agreement with our theoretical model.

Coulomb focusing in resonant production of super-ponderomotive photo-electrons from helium

We present wave functions of helium atoms exposed to an intense 800-nm laser, calculated by numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. Around 600 TW/cm2 strong resonance enhancements of high-energy electrons occur, each leading to the appearance of specific quasi-periodic charge distribution patterns around the atom. The time-dependence of several such states is presented and discussed.

Rescattering processes for elliptical polarization: A quantum trajectory analysis

High-harmonic generation and high-order above-threshold ionization spectra calculated in the strong-field approximation are analyzed in terms of the complex space-time orbits that result from a saddle point analysis of the underlying integrals. For elliptical polarization, the plateaus of the spectra of high-harmonic generation and high-order above-threshold ionization each turn into a staircase of very similar appearance. Each step of the stair can be traced to a particular pair of orbits which are almost identical in both cases.

SUBFEMTOSECOND PROCESSES IN STRONG LASER FIELDS

Strong field atomic and molecular interactions can be understood by following electronic dynamics inside the laser cycle. This quasistatic perspective introduces the subfemtosecond time scale into strong-field dynamics through time-dependent Born-Oppenheimer surfaces. We discuss both theoretical and experimental results in atomic and molecular ionization and dissociation with applications to femtochemistry. An all-optical Coulomb explosion method for determining time-dependent molecular structure and properties is demonstrated. The concept of time-dependent Born-Oppenheimer surfaces is used to study molecular dissociation and exchange reactions in infrared fields.

X rays from optical-field ionized plasmas at low density

We present results of an experiment in which x rays from an optical-field ionized plasma are generated under well-controlled conditions in a low-pressure gas cell. In this way high-density effects such as electron heating, collisional ionization, and ionization defocusing are avoided. Using N(2) as the medium, we show that many features of the soft-x-ray emission follow theoretical predictions. In particular, higher x-ray intensity is observed on most lines for circularly than for linearly polarized light. However, several Li-like lines show anomalously strong emission for linear polarization. Mechanisms that may be responsible for this effect are discussed.