Understanding Tunneling Ionization of Atoms in Laser Fields using the Principle of Multiphoton Absorption

The elaborate energy and momentum spectra of ionized electrons from atoms in laser fields suggest that the ionization dynamics described by tunneling theory should be modified. Although great efforts have been carried out within semiclassical models, there are few discussions describing the multiphoton absorption process within a quantum framework. Comparing the results obtained with the time-dependent Schr?dinger equation(TDSE)and the Keldysh–Faisal–Reiss(KFR) theory, we study the nonperturbative effects of ionization dynamics beyond the KFR theory. The difference in momentum spectra between multiphoton and tunneling regimes is understood in a unified picture with virtual multiphoton absorption processes. For the multiphoton regime, the momentum spectra can be obtained by coherent interference of each periodic contribution. However, the interference of multiphoton absorption peaks will result in a complex structure of virtual multiphoton bands in the tunneling regime. It is shown that the virtual spectra will be almost continuous in the tunneling regime instead of the discrete levels found in the multiphoton regime. Finally, with a model combining the TDSE and the KFR theory,we try to understand the different effects of virtual multiphoton processes on ionization dynamics.     

High-order harmonic generation and multi-photon ionization of Na2 in laser fields

In this paper high-order harmonic generation （HHG） spectra and the ionization probabilities of various charge states of small cluster Na2 in the multiphoton regimes are calculated by using time-dependent local density approximation （TDLDA） for one-colour （1064 nm） and two-colour （1064 nm and 532 nm） ultrashort （25 fs） laser pulses. HHG spectra of Na2 have not the large extent of plateaus due to pronounced collective effects of electron dynamics. In addition, the two-colour laser field can result in the breaking of the symmetry and generation of the even order harmonic such as the second order harmonic. The results of ionization probabilities show that a two-colour laser field can increase the ionization probability of higher charge state.     

Effect of Time-Dependent Ionization on Propagation of a Few-Cycle Circularly Polarized Laser Pulse in Two-Level Medium

Influence of multiphoton ionization on the propagation and spectrum of few-cycle circularly （elliptically） polarized laser pulses in an open two-level medium （two-level plus continuum model） is investigated based on the conventional two-level model proposed by Slavcheva and Hess （Phys. Rev. A 72 （2005） 053804）, and the propagation dynamics of an arbitrary elliptically polarized laser pulse is reduced into that of right and left circularly polarized laser pulses. When the laser intensity is high enough to cause ionization, there are significant impacts of ionization on the pulse reshaping and on the higher order spectral components, and the impacts for the open two-level model are different from those for the dosed two-level model.     

Atomic motion in the magneto–optical trap consisting of partially spatially coherent laser

Rb atom motion in a magneto–optical trap(MOT) consisting of a partially spatially coherent laser(PSCL) is investigated theoretically. The spatial coherence of the laser is controlled by the electro–optic crystal. The instantaneous spatial distribution of the dissipative force induced by the PSCL on an Rb atom is varying with time stochastically. The simulated results indicate that compared with a fully coherent laser, the spatial coherent laser has effects on the atomic trajectories;however, the capture velocity and the escape velocity are kept the same. The main reason is that the spatial coherence of the laser fluctuates temporally and spatially, but the average photon scattering rate varies little, which makes the total number of atoms and the atomic density distribution unchanged.     

Polarization control of multi-photon absorption under intermediate femtosecond laser field

It has been shown that the femtosecond laser polarization modulation is a very simple and well-established method to control the multi-photon absorption process by the light–matter interaction. Previous studies mainly focused on the multiphoton absorption control in the weak field. In this paper, we further explore the polarization control behavior of multiphoton absorption process in the intermediate femtosecond laser field. In the weak femtosecond laser field, the secondorder perturbation theory can well describe the non-resonant two-photon absorption process. However, the higher order nonlinear effect(e.g., four-photon absorption) can occur in the intermediate femtosecond laser field, and thus it is necessary to establish new theoretical model to describe the multi-photon absorption process, which includes the two-photon and four-photon transitions. Here, we construct a fourth-order perturbation theory to study the polarization control behavior of this multi-photon absorption under the intermediate femtosecond laser field excitation, and our theoretical results show that the two-photon and four-photon excitation pathways can induce a coherent interference, while the coherent interference is constructive or destructive that depends on the femtosecond laser center frequency. Moreover, the two-photon and fourphoton transitions have the different polarization control efficiency, and the four-photon absorption can obtain the higher polarization control efficiency. Thus, the polarization control efficiency of the whole excitation process can be increased or decreased by properly designing the femtosecond laser field intensity and laser center frequency. These studies can provide a clear physical picture for understanding and controlling the multi-photon absorption process in the intermediate femtosecond laser field, and also can provide a theoretical guidance for the future experimental realization.     

Coherent phase control in electron argon scattering in a bichromatic laser field

This paper theoretically investigates the coherent phase control in electron--argon scattering assisted by a bichromatic laser field. The laser field is composed of a fundamental component and its second harmonic. The incoming and out going states of electron are described by the Volkov wave functions, and the electron--target interaction is treated as a screening potential. Numerical results for differential cross section of multiphoton processes vs the phase difference between the two components of laser field are discussed for several scattering angles and impact energies.     

Laser-Induced Continuum Structure of NO Molecules in Two-Colour Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Fields

The method of quantum wave packet dynamics is used to study the multiphoton ionization of NO molecules via a two-photon Raman coupling and a laser-induced continuum structure （LICS） state in two-colour strong femtosecond pulsed laser fields. Time-and energy-resolved photoelectron energy spectra are calculated for describing three photoionization channels. The population transfers through the LICS and the Raman coupling passages are discussed.     

Photodissociation of sodium iodide and resonant ionization of sodium atom produced

Resonant ionization spectroscopy (RIS) and resonant ionization mass spectroscopy (RIMS) are employed to detect the photodissociation product of sodium iodide molecules in a molecular beam in an intense laser field in the absence of the buffer gases. Time of flight mass spectra is recorded. In particular, the appearances of multiphoton ionization are discussed.     

Optical breakdown and filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses propagating in air at a kHz repetition rate

We report the experiments on the optical breakdown and filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses propagating in air at a kHz repetition rate and with several hundreds micro-joule-energy.A 10m-long filament and its breakup and merging at the nonlinear focal region produced by modulational instability of femtosecond laser pulses in air are observed.A simple model based on the nonlinear Schroedinger equation coupled with multiphoton ionization law is presented to explain the several experimental results.     

Multiphoton resonant ionization of hydrogen atom exposed to two-colour laser pulses

This paper studies the multiphoton resonant ionization by two-colour laser pulses in the hydrogen atom by solving the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. By fixing the parameters of fundamental laser field and scanning the frequency of second laser field, it finds that the ionization probability shows several resonance peaks and is also much larger than the linear superposition of probabilities by applying two lasers separately. The enhancement of the ionization happens when the system is resonantly pumped to the excited states by absorbing two or more colour photons non-sequentially.     

用共振电离质谱测定铀原子奇宇称高激发态能级

对铀原子单色和双色多光子共振电离光谱开展了深入的研究。报道了用双色三步共振光电离技术测量位于３３００３￣３４２６４ｃｍ＾－１范围内的奇宇称高激发态能级的位置。利用总角动量选择定则指定了这些能级的总角动量Ｊ值。     

Controlling the XUV transparency of helium using two-pathway quantum interference

Atoms irradiated with combined femtosecond laser and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) fields ionize through multiphoton processes, even when the energy of the XUV photon is below the ionization potential. However, in the presence of two different XUV photons and an intense laser field, it is possible to induce full electromagnetic transparency. Taking helium as an example, the laser field modifies its electronic structure, while the presence of two different XUV photons and the laser field leads to two distinct ionization pathways that can interfere destructively. This work demonstrates a new approach for coherent control in a regime of highly excited states and strong optical fields.     

Low-frequency strong-field ionization and excitation of hydrogen atom

The dynamics of hydrogen atom in the presence of a strong radiation field of the titanium-sapphire laser is studied for the Keldysh parameters γ ≥ 1 and γ ≤ 1. It is demonstrated that the ionization is supplemented with the effective population of the excited states with the principal quantum numbers n = 5–10 in the entire range of variation in the Keldysh parameter. The population of the excited Rydberg states can be interpreted as a consequence of the multiphoton resonance involving the initial 1s state and a group of excited states in the vicinity of the continuum boundary with the simultaneous repopulation of these states by Λ-type Raman transitions under the action of the laser field. The resulting coherent Rydberg packet appears to be stable with respect to ionization, so that the ionization of the atomic system in the presence of strong electromagnetic field is suppressed. Physical reasons for the stabilization are discussed. An interpretation of the effective population of the Rydberg states in the recent experiments on the ionization of atomic helium by the titanium-sapphire laser is proposed.     

铀原子双色三步激光光电离光谱

对铀原子单色及双色多光子共振电离光谱开发了深入的研究，报道了用双色三步光电离技术测量位于３４２６０－３５８００ｃｍ＾－１范围内的奇宇称高位能级的位置和Ｊ值。     

NH_3多光子电离和裂解动力学过程分析

本文分析了在XeCl准分子激光作用下NH_3分子的多光子电离质谱形成机理。所建立的动力学模型包括主要由经过中间态(6)和(1)的(2+1)共振多光子电离,生成NH_3~+;离子-分子反应形成大量的NH_4~+;经(6)态的(2+2)共振多光子电离,可能产生低产额的NH_2~+。这个模型的速率方程解与实验测量符合得很好,并在离子流强度对激光脉冲宽度的依赖关系中预示直接电离或间接电离机制的信息。     

由亚稳态铀原子用双色三光子电离光谱测量铀原子奇宇称高激发态能级

对铀原子单色和双色多光子共振电离光谱，进行了深入的研究。把亚稳态３８００ｃｍ－１做为起始态，用双色三光子共振电离技术，在３７９００～３８６５４ｃｍ－‘范围内获得了６０个铀原子奇宇称高激发态能级的能位值和Ｊ值。     

碘原子共振多光子电离光谱研究

用可调谐的染料激光(4600～5000(?)),共振(3+2)和(4+1)多光子电离探测了I(5p~2P_(3/2)~0)和1~#(5p~2P_(1/2)~0).碘原子是由碘分子(I_2)经激光解离而产生的.在上述激光波段中共观察到12个原子跃迁,其中,(4+1)多光子电离跃迁是首次观察到的.