Multiphoton stimulated bremsstrahlung for broad (in the momentum representation) electron wave packets in an ultrashort laser pulse field

We consider features of absorption and emission of external laser field quanta by a broad (in the momentum representation) electron wave packet during its scattering from a potential center. Various scattering modes for the electron wave packet in a high-intensity laser field are analyzed using perturbation theory of potential energy. It is found that the absorption of laser field energy by an electron is substantially more effective as compared to the case of a plane wave. The important role of a number of interference effects associated with the large width of the initial electron momentum distribution is demonstrated.     

Extracting the phase distribution of the electron wave packet ionized by an elliptically polarized laser pulse

We use an interferometic scheme to extract the phase distribution of the electron wave packet from above-threshold ionization in elliptically polarized laser fields. In this scheme, an electron wave packet released from a circularly polarized laser pulse acts as a reference wave and interferes with the electron wave packet ionized by a time-delayed counter-rotating elliptically polarized laser field. The generated vortex-shaped interference pattern in the photoelectron momentum distribution enables us to extract the phase distribution of the electron wave packet in the elliptically polarized laser pulse with high precision. By artificially screening the ionic potential at different ranges when solving the time-dependent Schördinger equation, we find that the angle-dependent phase distribution of the electron wave packet in the elliptically polarized laser field shows an obvious angular shift as compared to the strong-field approximation, whose value is the same as the attoclock shift. We also show that the amplitude of the angle-dependent phase distribution is sensitive to the ellipticity of the laser pulse, providing an alternative way to precisely calibrate the laser ellipticity in the attoclock measurement.     

氢负离子在梯度电场中光剥离的波包动力学研究

利用含时微扰论和闭合轨道理论相结合的方法, 给出了氢负离子在梯度电场中自关联函数的计算公式, 并且对体系的自关联函数进行了计算和分析. 重点探讨了激光脉冲的宽度、梯度电场中背景电场强度及电场梯度对氢负离子体系的自关联函数的影响. 研究结果表明, 当激光脉冲的脉冲宽度较短, 远小于剥离电子的闭合轨道的周期时, 量子波包的回归现象显著, 自关联函数中会出现一系列比较明显的回归峰, 这是由于沿闭合轨道返回的电子波包和出射的电子波包之间产生干涉形成的. 但是随着激光脉冲宽度的增加, 量子波包的回归现象减弱. 当脉冲宽度和闭合轨道的周期相差不是很大时, 自关联函数中的回归峰逐渐变宽, 振荡渐趋平缓, 相邻的峰之间发生相互干涉, 从而导致对应关系消失. 除此之外, 我们还发现梯度电场中背景电场强度和电场梯度对体系的自关联函数也会发生显著的影响. 随着背景电场强度和电场梯度的增加, 剥离电子的闭合轨道的周期变短, 自关联函数中回归峰的个数逐渐增加, 量子回归现象增强. 因此, 我们可以通过改变脉冲的宽度、外加电场强度的大小对氢负离子发生光剥离的自关联函数进行调控. 我们的结果对于实验研究原子或离子体系在外场中的波包动力学性质可以提供一定的参考价值.     

Molecular dynamics driven by ultrashort laser pulses: Interference effects due to rescattering

A time-dependent Schrödinger equation is integrated numerically to investigate the dynamics of a model molecular system driven by a high-intensity ultrashort laser pulse. Two-dimensional photoelectron momentum distributions are analyzed. Highly nonmonotonic electron angular distributions are obtained that cannot be explained by diffraction in the double-well potential of a molecular ion. The nonmonotonicity is also demonstrated for atomic ionization and is attributed to the interference that occurs between components of an electron wave packet after its rescattering from the parent ion. An analytical model explaining the observed effects is developed.     

Manifestation of external field effect in time-resolved photo-dissociation dynamics of LiF

The photo-dissociation dynamics of LiF is investigated with newly constructed accurate ab initio potential energy curves (PECs) using the time-dependent quantum wave packet method. The oscillations and decay of the wave packet on the adiabats as a function of time are given, which can be compared with the femtosecond transition-state (FTS) spectroscopy. The photo-absorption spectra and the kinetic-energy distribution of the dissociation fragments, which can exhibit the vibration-level structure and the dispersion of the wave packet, respectively, are also obtained. The investigation shows a blue shift of the band center for the photo-absorption spectrum and multiple peaks in the kinetic-energy spectrum with increasing laser intensity, which can be attributed to external field effects. By analyzing the oscillations of the wave packet evolving on the upper adiabat, an approximate inversion scheme is devised to roughly deduce its shape.     

Resonant scattering of a lepton by a lepton in the pulsed light field

The process of resonant scattering of a lepton by a lepton in the field of pulsed light wave in general relativistic case is studied theoretically. The approximation when a pulsewidth is considerably greater than the characteristic time of wave oscillation is considered. The analytical expression for the resonant differential cross-section of concerned process is derived within the framework of the first order of the perturbation theory with respect to external laser field; it contains the resonant peak, the altitude and the width of which are defined by the external pulsed wave characteristics. It is demonstrated, that the resonant differential cross-section of scattering of an electron by an electron (an electron by a positron, an electron by a muon) in the pulsed light field may be several orders of magnitude greater than the corresponding one in the external field absence. The derived results may be verified experimentally for example by scientific facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.     

Quantum simulation of the Klein paradox with trapped ions

We report on quantum simulations of relativistic scattering dynamics using trapped ions. The simulated state of a scattering particle is encoded in both the electronic and vibrational state of an ion, representing the discrete and continuous components of relativistic wave functions. Multiple laser fields and an auxiliary ion simulate the dynamics generated by the Dirac equation in the presence of a scattering potential. Measurement and reconstruction of the particle wave packet enables a frame-by-frame visualization of the scattering processes. By precisely engineering a range of external potentials we are able to simulate text book relativistic scattering experiments and study Klein tunneling in an analogue quantum simulator. We describe extensions to solve problems that are beyond current classical computing capabilities.     

原子双阱势中电子波包的非绝热操控

交叉电场和磁场中的氢原子具有双阱势能结构。本文基于量子力学模拟,采用半周期脉冲（HCP）序列开展电子波包的非绝热操控。详细研究了HCP的电场幅度、数量和时间间隔对电子波包的空间和能量分布的影响,实现了将初始电子波包非绝热转移到远离库伦中心的外势阱中的低能态,这些低能态较为稳定且显示出很大的电偶极矩。相比光激发和绝热操控,本文的方法更为快速、高效,可以应用于更为复杂的外场或分子体系。     

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

We solve the time-dependent Schr?dinger 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.     

Does the classically chaotic Henon-Heiles oscillator exhibit quantum chaos under intense laser fields?

The quantum dynamics of an electron moving under the Henon-Heiles (HH) potential in the presence of external time-dependent (TD) laser fields of varying intensities have been studied by evolving in real time the unperturbed ground-state wave function φ (x, y, t) of the HH oscillator. The TD Schrödinger equation is solved numerically and the system is allowed to generate its own wave packet. Two kinds of sensitivities, namely, sensitivity to the initial quantum state and to the Hamiltonian, are examined. The threshold intensity of the laser field for an electron moving in the HH potential to reach its continuum is identified and in this region quantum chaos has been diagnosed through a combination of various dynamical signatures such as the autocorrelation function, quantum ‘phase-space’ volume, ‘phase-space’ trajectory, distance function and overlap integral (akin to quantum fidelity or Loschmidt echo), in terms of the sensitivity towards an initial state characterized by a mixture of quantum states (wave packet) brought about by small changes in the Hamiltonian, rather than a ‘pure’ quantum state (a single eigenstate). The similarity between the HH potential and atoms/molecules in intense laser fields is also analyzed.     

Resonance of exchange amplitude of Compton effect in the circularly polarized laser field

We present, for general relativistic case, a theoretical study of resonance of exchange amplitude when a photon is scattered by an electron in the field of a circularly polarized wave. Resonances are related to a virtual intermediate particle that falls within the mass shell. We find conditions when resonances occur in exchange amplitude. We derive the expressions for the resonant amplitudes and the differential cross-sections when the invariant intensity parameter of the laser field is small (η≪1) and the interference of direct and exchange amplitudes is absent. It is demonstrated that the resonant cross-section of scattering may be several orders of magnitude higher than the cross-section of Compton effect in the absence of the external field.     

Attosecond X-ray pulse obtained from linear Thomson scattering

Linear Thomson scattering by a relativistic electron of a short pulse laser has been investigated by computer simulation. Under a laser field with a pulse of 33.3-fs full-width at half-maximum, and the initial energy of an electron of γ₀=10, the motion of the electron is relativistic and generates an ultrashort radiation of 76-as with a photon wave length of 2.5-nm in the backward scattering. The radiation under a high relativistic energy electron has better characteristic than under a low relativistic energy electron in terms of the pulse width and the angular distribution.     

Spin-polarized transport through a time-periodic non-magnetic semiconductor heterostructure

Spin-dependent Floquet scattering theory is developed to investigate the photon-assisted spin-polarized electron transport through a semiconductor heterostructure in the presence of an external electric field. Spin-dependent Fano resonances and spin-polarized electron transport through a laser irradiated time-periodic non-magnetic heterostructure in the presence of Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction and a gate-controlled Rashba spin-orbit interaction are investigated. The electric field due to laser along with the spin-orbit interactions help to get spin-dependent Fano resonances in the conductance, whereas the external bias can be appropriately adjusted to get a near 80% spin-polarized electron transmission through heterostructures. The resultant nature of the Floquet scattering depends on the relative strength of these two electric fields.     

Dynamic stabilization of atomic ionization in a high-frequency laser field with different initial angular momenta

We investigated the ionization of an atom with different orbital angular momenta in a high-frequency laser field by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The results showed that the ionization stabilization features changed with the relative direction between the angular momentum of the initial state and the vector field of the laser pulse. The ionization mechanism of the atom irradiated by a high frequency was explained by calculating the transition matrix and evolution of the time-dependent wave packet. This study can provide comprehensive understanding to improve atomic nonadiabatic ionization.     

Resonant scattering of an electron by a muon in the field of light wave

In the frame of the Born approximation we theoretically investigate resonant scattering of an electron by a muon in the field of elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave in the general relativistic case. It is studied kinematics of a scattering of an electron in resonant region. It is derived the expressions for the amplitude and the cross-section of the resonant scattering of an electron by a muon when the invariant intensity parameter of the laser field is small (η_e ≪1). It is demonstrated that the resonant cross-section of a scattering may be several orders of magnitude higher than the cross-section of a scattering in the absence of the external field.     

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.     

Atomic antenna: Nonlinear scattering of a superatomic-intensity laser pulse

A semiclassical model of high harmonic generation upon ionization by suppressing the atomic barrier is developed. The spreading of the wave packet of an ionized electron, which is chosen in the form of a Gaussian distribution, is considered. The quantum nature of the process is taken into account by the initial discrete level of the electron, and the finite wave packet spreading occurs in the continuum. After its detachment from the atom, the electron is assumed to be free and moving under the action of the laser pulse field and the Coulomb interaction of the electron with the atomic core can be treated as a perturbation. The radiation from the electron is calculated from its acceleration expressed in terms of the average force of interaction of the electron with the Coulomb center of the atom.     

Energy Losses Due to Radiation Reaction for Electrons Accelerated by Interfering Intense Laser Pulses with Tilted Amplitude Fronts

The dynamics of an electron accelerated by laser radiation with the help of a scheme based on the interference of three relativistically intense electromagnetic pulses with titled amplitude fronts is analyzed. It is shown that, starting at the center of the interference pattern, the electron moves along a spiral trajectory with the axis perpendicular to the wave vectors of the laser beams, gaining considerable kinetic energy in the process. The impact of radiation reaction under the arrangement is simulated numerically in the framework of various approaches intended to take into account the energy loss resulting from the effect. The energy loss by the electron is shown to depend strongly on its initial energy and on whether the electron and the laser pulse initially travel in the same or opposite directions. The relation between small energy losses due to radiation reaction and the electron capture by the optical field is established. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Theory of dynamics of electron wave packets in time-resolved two-photon photoemission via image states

Time-resolved two-photon photoemission (TR2PPE) from the Cu(100) surface is investigated by the Keldysh Green function method in order to analyze ultrafast dynamics of an electron wave packet in the image states of the surface. By numerical analysis, the quantum beats in the TR2PPE spectrum due to interference among the image states are reproduced, and the motion of the electron wave packet in front of the surface is demonstrated. It is discussed on the basis of the obtained results as to how the motion of the electron wave packet is evaluated from the TR2PPE spectrum.