Single-photon double ionization of an atom in a strong radiation field

Double ionization is studied by direct numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a model two-electron system in the field of an electromagnetic wave in the case when the photon energy exceeds the energy required for the removal of both electrons of the atom. The probabilities of single-electron and double ionization are obtained as functions of the radiation intensity. The energy spectra and double pulse distributions of photoelectrons are analyzed. It is shown that single-photon ionization plays a significant role only in the limiting cases of weak and strong fields. The obtained results are used in an analysis of the contributions from different channels to the double-ionization process (in particular, for clarifying the role of the electron-electron interaction). The results of numerical calculations are compared with the analytic model of the phenomenon.     

Ab initio calculation of the double ionization of helium in a few-cycle laser pulse beyond the one-dimensional approximation

We present ab initio computations of the ionization of two-electron atoms by short pulses of intense linearly polarized Ti:sapphire laser radiation beyond the one-dimensional approximation. In the model the electron correlation is included in its full dimensionality, while the center-of-mass motion is restricted along the polarization axis. Our results exhibit a rich double ionization quantum dynamics in the direction transversal to the field polarization, which is neglected in the previous models based on the one-dimensional approximation.     

Peculiarities of the ionization of many-electron systems and generation of attosecond pulses in ultrashort laser fields

The ionization of a model two-electron atom in the field of a strong ultrashort laser pulse is studied by numerical integration of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation describing the dynamics of a quantum system in the field of an electromagnetic wave. Pecularities of the two-electron ionization are analyzed for pulses whose duration amounts to one to two periods of oscillation of the electric field of the wave at different frequencies of the incident radiation. For extremely short pulses, the double ionization is found to be suppressed. This effect is caused by the finiteness of the interelectron energy exchange time during the laser action. Peculiarities of the generation of high-order harmonics and single XUV attosecond pulses upon ionization of atoms by laser pulses, whose duration is within one to two optical cycles, are investigated.     

Generation of XUV attosecond pulses in the process of atomic ionization by few-cycle laser radiation

Ionization of a model two-electron atom in the presence of a strong field of ultrashort laser pulses is investigated using the numerical integration of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation, which describes the dynamics of a quantum system in the presence of an electromagnetic wave. The features of two-electron ionization in the presence of one-and two-cycle pulses are analyzed. The suppression of double ionization in the presence of ultrashort laser pulses related to a finite-time interelectron energy exchange upon the laser action is demonstrated. The features of the generation of high-order harmonics and single XUV attosecond pulses are studied for the atomic ionization by few-cycle laser pulses. The parameters of the laser pulse are optimized for the effective generation of a single XUV attosecond pulse.     

Dynamic Interference Photoelectron Spectra in Double Ionization:Numerical Simulation of 1D Helium

We report our numerical simulation on the dynamic interference photoelectron spectra for a one-dimensional(1D) He model exposed to intense ultrashort extreme ultraviolet(XUV) laser pulses.The results demonstrate an unambiguous interference feature in the photoelectron spectra,and the interference is unveiled to originate from the dynamic Stark effect.The interference photoelectron spectra are prompted for intense sub-femtosecond XUV laser pulses in double ionization.The stationary phase picture is corroborated qualitatively in the two-electron system.The ability of probing the dynamic Stark effect by the photoelectron spectra in a pragmatic experiment of single-photon double ionization of He may shed light on further investigation on multi-electron atoms and molecules.     

Ionization and stabilization of a two-electron atom in a strong electromagnetic field

Direct numerical simulations are performed to analyze stabilization of a two-electron model atom in a strong electromagnetic field. The system is found to be stabilized with respect to both single and double ionization. By comparing the present results with those concerning stability of one-electron atoms, it is shown that stabilization is due to the formation of a Kramers-Henneberger two-electron atom. Ionization and stabilization characteristics of excited singlet and triplet states of an atomic system are examined.     

Stabilization of an atom in a strong high-frequency field

The dynamics of a classical model two-electron atom in a strong high-frequency electromagnetic field is investigated by numerical integration. It is found that, with an increase in the field intensity, the system demonstrates enhanced stability with respect to ionization. It is shown that stabilization arises due to the formation of a new object—a Kramers-Henneberger atom.     

Tunneling ionization of a hydrogen atom in short and ultrashort laser pulses

The ionization of a hydrogen atom in a linearly polarized low-frequency electromagnetic field is investigated by direct numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The data obtained for various ionization regimes and various initial atomic states are compared with the Keldysh and Perelomov-Popov-Terent’ev (PPT) theories. The validity ranges for the quasi-static model of tunneling ionization and the PPT theory in laser intensity and frequency are determined. The tunneling ionization of the excited 2s and 2p states is discussed. The ionization of a hydrogen atom in an ultrashort (on the order of one optical period) pulse is investigated.     

Multiphoton ionization of magnesium in a Ti-sapphire laser field

In this paper we report the theoretical results obtained for partial ionization yields and the above-threshold ionization (ATI) spectra of magnesium in a Ti: sapphire laser field (804 nm) in the range of short pulse duration (20-120 fs). Ionization yield, with linearly polarized light for a 120 fs laser pulse, is obtained as a function of the peak intensity motivated by recent experimental data [9]. For this, we have solved the time-dependent Schrödinger equation nonperturbatively on a basis of discretized states obtained with two different methods; one with the two-electron wavefunction relaxed at the boundaries, giving a quadratic discretized basis and the other with the two-electron wavefunction expanded in terms of Mg ⁺ -orbitals plus one free electron allowing the handling of multiple continua (open channels). Results, obtained with the two methods, are compared and advantages and disadvantages of the open-channel method are discussed.Received: 17 June 2003, Published online: 26 August 2003PACS: 32.80.Rm Multiphoton ionization and excitation to highly excited states (e.g., Rydberg states)G. Buic-Zloh: Permanent address: Institute for Space Sciences, P.O. Box MG-23, 76900 Bucharest-Mgurele, Romania.     

低能He2+-He碰撞体系转移电离机理的实验研究

利用冷靶反冲离子动量谱仪,对低能He²⁺-He碰撞反应中产生的反冲靶离子和炮弹离子进行了符合测量,根据反冲靶离子的动量,研究了转移电离过程中的电荷转移机理.实验结果表明：在20—40 keV能量范围内,靶原子上的一个电子俘获到炮弹离子的基态,另一个电子直接发射到靶的连续态的直接电离及另一个电子俘获到炮弹离子的连续态的过程(ECC)是最主要的转移电离机理,且ECC过程主要发生在大碰撞参数条件下;炮弹离子俘获两个电子处在双激发态的自电离过程的贡献很小. 关键词： 冷靶反冲离子动量谱仪 转移电离机理 离子原子碰撞     

Double ionization of atoms by multiply charged ions and a strong electromagnetic field: Effects of correlation in the continuum

A nonstationary theory of double ionization of two-electron atoms in collisions with multiply charged ions or by an intense electromagnetic field is developed. An approach that permits investigating both problems by a single method is formulated. A two-electron continuum wave function that takes into account the interaction of the electrons with the atomic nucleus and the external ionizer as well as with one another is obtained as a product of Coulomb waves with modified Sommerfeld parameters. The computational results obtained for the double ionization of helium atoms by multiply charged ions are in good quantitative agreement with the existing experimental data. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 1, 23–26 (10 July 1997)     

极板电压与间距对大气压射频氩等离子体放电参数的影响

 基于1维流体力学模型,对大气压射频裸露金属电极氩气放电过程进行了研究。模型中考虑了氩等离子体放电过程中主要发生的激发和电离等7个反应过程,对等离子体反应产生的主要粒子,包括电子、氩原子离子Ar⁺、氩分子离子Ar2⁺和氩激发态Ar^*等,建立连续性方程、动量方程和电流平衡方程。分析了极板电压、极板间距对上述粒子数密度分布的影响。给出了电子,Ar⁺,Ar^*和Ar₂⁺密度随极板电压及间距变化的时空演化过程。得出极板电压或极板间距的改变会使放电空间的电场发生改变,对应一定的极板间距,极板电压有一个最佳值,极板电压和间距的变化会使对应的极板间有一个最佳电场值,而对应最佳电场有一个等离子体气体间最佳反应系数,从而使放电空间粒子数密度发生改变。     

Elementary processes during collisions of ions with tryptophan molecules

The relative cross sections of elementary processes occurring in single collisions of tryptophan molecules in the gaseous phase with He²⁺ ions with energy 4 keV/u are measured using time-of-flight mass spectrometry for studying the mechanism of radiation damage of amino acid molecules. The fragmentation channels for intermediate singly and doubly charged tryptophan molecular ions formed during one-electron capture, two-electron capture, and electron capture with ionization are investigated. Significant difference is observed in the mass spectra of fragmentation of intermediate doubly charged ions formed during the capture with ionization and double capture, which is associated with different energies of excitation of {C₁₁H₁₂N₂O₂}²⁺* ions.     

Radiation of a tunneling electron on a secondary recombination center

Radiation emitted upon photorecombination of electrons produced in tunneling ionization on a nearly located center is considered. An analytic solution to one-dimensional and three-dimensional problems is obtained in the active-electron model. The dependence of radiation on the distance between the ionization and recombination centers and on the electric field direction is studied. Optimal parameters for producing recombination radiation are determined.     

Intense-field double ionization of helium: identifying the mechanism

We present quantum mechanical calculations of the electron and ion momentum distributions following double ionization of a one-dimensional helium atom by ultrashort laser pulses (780 nm) at various intensities. The two-electron momentum distributions exhibit a clear transition from nonsequential to sequential double ionization. We provide strong evidence that rescattering is responsible for nonsequential ionization by calculating the momentum spectrum of the He2+ recoil ions-which we find in excellent agreement with recent experiments-and by analyzing the electronic center-of-mass motion via Wigner transforms.     

On the Energy of a “Two-Dimensional” Two-Electron Atom

With the use of the known solution of the Schrödinger equation for an electron in the nucleus field in the polar coordinates, the energy of a “two-dimensional” two-electron atom in the ground state, as well as its single ionization energy, has been calculated both in perturbation theory and with an almost century-old method of variation of the parameter Z in a trial wavefunction of the ground state. Since such two-dimensional atoms, e.g., helium atoms, can in principle be implemented in experiments by “freezing” of one degree of freedom in the phase of Bose–Einstein condensate, the conclusions made in this work can be tested. Fundamental features of the calculation of the energy of “one-dimensional” two-electron atoms and the formation of their Bose–Einstein condensate have also been discussed. The results obtained in this work coincide in a number of particular cases with the results obtained in a previous work, where some results were absent.     

The positronium negative ion: Classical properties aaand semiclassical quantization

Properties of collinear and planar periodic orbits for the positronium negative ion are examined with respect to the possibilities for semiclassical quantization. In contrast to other two-electron atomic systems as helium and H^- the relevant orbits for quantization are fully stable and permit a full torus quantization. However, for lower excitations the area of stability in phase-space is too small for a reliable torus quantization. Instead, a quasi-separability of the three-body system is used to apply effective one-dimensional (WKB) quantization. Received 19 January 2001     

Experimental preparation of the initial state of Xe+-N laser-induced collisional charge transfer system: Multi-photon resonant ionization of xenon

A novel one-color Xe⁺-N laser induced collisional charge transfer system is proposed, and preparation of the initial state of the system, i.e., Xe⁺ is experimentally implemented through resonance enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI) by ～440 nm dye laser. The REMPI of Xe is experimentally investigated through time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry and the intensity dependence of Xe⁺ is obtained, aiming at the preparation of Xe⁺. The resonant ionization spectra of Xe at ～440 nm under several different conditions are measured, showing the impacts of mode purification and source pressure on the resonant ionization spectrum. The results indicate the feasibility of preparing the initial state of the Xe⁺-N system by ～440 nm multi-photon resonant ionization, which prepares for a further experiment of laser-induced collisional charge transfer.     

Charge transfer in the collision system He<Superscript>2+</Superscript> + C<Stack><Subscript>60</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>: Theory and experiment

Fullerenes are a direct link between atoms with discrete electronic energy levels and solids with a band structure and a well-defined surface. In this paper, we report on a quantum mechanical treatment of charge transfer and ionization in the ion-ion collision system ³He²⁺ + C ₆₀ ⁺ . This approach considers under- and over-barrier transitions through the one-dimensional barrier between the collision partners. The calculated cross sections for charge transfer compare favorably with experimental data measured in the center-of-mass energy range from 27 to 196 keV employing the crossed beams technique.