Comparison study of atomic and molecular single ionization in the multiphoton ionization regime

In this Letter, we report, for the first time in the multiphoton ionization regime, a comparison study of single-electron ionization of diatomic molecules versus rare gas atoms with virtually the same ionization potentials. In comparing N2+ to Ar+, a higher ion signal is seen in N2+ compared to Ar+ for linear polarization but the difference vanishes in circularly polarized light. In comparing O2+ to Xe+, we observe a suppression in O2+ compared to Xe+ for both linear and circular polarization but this suppression exhibits an intensity dependence; i.e., there is little suppression for O2+ at the lowest intensity range, but the suppression becomes increasingly stronger as the laser intensity increases. The multielectron screening model is used to discuss possible mechanisms of this intensity dependent suppression in O2+ in the multiphoton ionization regime.     

Effect of polarization spectroscopy in multitep excitation and ionization of atoms on ionization efficiency

In this peper, the seventeen real motion equation of atoms were shown for the first time inconsiderlng the polarization choices of laser lights. The importance of polarization spectrcoscopy in thedetermination of ionization yields of multi-step excitation and ionization of atoms (MSEIA) wasshown.     

Electron impact single and double ionization of magnesium

Electron impact single and double ionization cross-sections for magnesium have been calculated in the binary encounter model using accurate expression for (cross-section for energy transfer ΔE) as given by Vriens. Hartree-Fock velocity distributions for the target electrons have been used throughout the calculations. In case of double ionization contributions of inner shell ionization and Auger emission have been included in the present work. The results obtained in case of single ionization are excellent and at the same time the double ionization cross-sections show reasonably good agreement with the recent experimental observations. Substantiation of the viewpoint of Peach, and Boivin and Srivastava that a vacancy in the 2p shell of magnesium leads to double ionization is a remarkable feature of the present investigation. Received 9 October 2001 / Received in final form 8 January 2002 Published online 28 June 2002     

Exponentially self-similar impact ionization waves

The existence of generalized self-similar solutions to the system of continuity and Poisson equations is analyzed for the problem of evolution of impact ionization waves (IIWs). It is shown that, for any physically reasonable electric-field dependence of the impact ionization coefficients, there exist only exponentially self-similar (“limiting”) asymptotic solutions. These solutions describe IIWs whose spatial scales and propagation velocities increase exponentially with time. Conditions are found for the existence of plane, cylindrical, and spherical waves of this type; their structure is described; analytical relations between the key parameters are derived; and effects of recombination (or attachment) and tunnel ionization are analyzed. It is shown that these IIWs are intermediate asymptotics of numerical solutions to the corresponding Cauchy problems. The most important and interesting type of exponentially self-similar IIWs are streamers in a uniform electric field. The simplest comprehensive and explicit model describing their evolution is a spherical IIW.     

Reduction of multi-photon ionization in dielectrics due to collisions

The collisional effect due to the multi-photon ionization process in dielectric material has been studied. We found that the breakdown threshold of fused silica is the same for both linearly and circularly polarized light at 55 fs and 100 fs, which we believe is an indication of the suppression of multi-photon ionization in solids. By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with scattering, for the first time, we have observed substantial reduction of the multi-photon ionization rate in dielectrics due to collisions.     

Attosecond control of ionization by wave-packet interference

A train of attosecond pulses, synchronized to an infrared (IR) laser field, is used to create a series of electron wave packets (EWPs) that are below the ionization threshold in .helium. The ionization probability is found to strongly oscillate with the delay between the IR and attosecond fields twice per IR laser cycle. Calculations that reproduce the experimental results demonstrate that this ionization control results from interference between transiently bound EWPs created by different pulses in the train. In this way, we are able to observe, for the first time, attosecond wave-packet interference in a strongly driven atomic system.     

Gd原子的共振多光子电离研究

本文首次报道了用共振多光子电离(RMPI)技术探测到四条在可见光范围内的Gd原子强双光子跃迁线.观察到双色三光子Gd原子激光同位素分离.研究了高分辨率Gd原子电离谱,并解释了电离谱的线型.     

Electron-impact ionization and dissociative ionization of sulfur in the gas phase

We describe the methods and the results of investigation of the yield of positive ions formed as a result of electron-impact ionization of sulfur. The ionization energy for the basic molecule and the energies corresponding to the emergence of fragment ions are obtained from the ionization efficiency curves. The dynamics of formation of molecular sulfur ions in the temperature range 320–700 K is investigated. The energy dependences of efficiency S _n of the ion formation for n = 1–6 are analyzed, and their appearance energies are determined. The total cross section of sulfur ionization by a monochromatic electron beam is also investigated. Using the linear approximation method, we marked out features on the ionization function curve, which correspond to the ionization and excitation energies for multiply charged ions. The total cross section of the formation of negative sulfur ions is measured in the energy range 0–9 eV.     

Time-resolved quantum dynamics of double ionization in strong laser fields

Quantum calculations of a (1+1)-dimensional model for double ionization in strong laser fields are used to trace the time evolution from the ground state through ionization and rescattering to the two-electron escape. The subspace of symmetric escape, a prime characteristic of nonsequential double ionization, remains accessible by a judicious choice of 1D coordinates for the electrons. The time-resolved ionization fluxes show the onset of single and double ionization, the sequence of events during the pulse, and the influences of pulse duration and reveal the relative importance of sequential and nonsequential double ionization, even when ionization takes place during the same field cycle.     

Dynamics of ionization mechanisms in relativistic collisions involving heavy and highly-charged ions

The dynamics of mechanisms associated with the ionization of inner-shell electrons in relativistic collisions involving heavy and highly-charged ions is investigated within a nonperturbative approach formulated explicitly in the time domain. The theoretical treatment is based on the exact numerical solution of the time dependent Dirac equation for two Coulomb centers on a lattice in momentum space. We present results for ionization in encounters between 100 MeV/u Au⁷⁹⁺ projectile ions impinging on a hydrogen-like uranium target. By directly visualizing the collision dynamics we identify a new ionization mechanism in which electrons are emitted from the internuclear region preferentially in the transverse direction with respect to the projectile trajectory. A striking characteristic of this ionization mechanism is that the velocity of the electron is higher than the projectile velocity. Received 26 June 2001 and Received in final form 27 November 2001     

Asymptotically self-similar propagation of spherical ionization waves

It is shown that a new type of self-similar spherical ionization waves may exist in gases. All the spatial scales and the propagation velocity of such waves increase exponentially with time. The conditions for existence of these waves are established, their structure is described, and approximate analytical relationships between the principal parameters are obtained. It is notable that spherical ionization waves can serve as the simplest, but structurally complete and physically transparent model of a streamer in a homogeneous electric field.     

Hole initiated impact ionization in indium antimonide

The impact ionization in p-type indium antimonide at 77 K was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The dc pulse measurements with the time resolution of 50 ps and the high-field Hall measurements produced clear evidence that the impact ionization inp-InSb is initiated by equilibrium holes. The calculated hole generation rate gives good agreement with the experimental results.     

Fractal dynamics in the ionization of helium Rydberg atoms

We study the ionization of helium Rydberg atoms in an electric field above the classical ionization threshold within the semiclassical theory.By introducing a fractal approach to describe the chaotic dynamical behavior of the ionization,we identify the fractal self-similarity structure of the escape time versus the distribution of the initial launch angles of electrons,and find that the self-similarity region shifts toward larger initial launch angles with a decrease in the scaled energy.We connect the fractal structure of the escape time plot to the escape dynamics of ionized electrons.Of particular note is that the fractal dimensions are sensitively controlled by the scaled energy and magnetic field,and exhibit excellent agreement with the chaotic extent of the ionization systems for both helium and hydrogen Rydberg atoms.It is shown that,besides the electric and magnetic fields,core scattering is a primary factor in the fractal dynamics.     

Charge-state resolved above threshold ionization

Photoelectron energy resolved spectra recorded in coincidence with singly and doubly ionized atoms are reported for the interaction of xenon with 60 fs laser pulses at 800 nm and 1x10(14) W/cm(2). Double ionization contributions in the spectrum have been established. The appearance of a single ionization plateau in above threshold ionization is verified. A hotter electron distribution is found for the double ionization.     

Suppression of multiple ionization of atomic ions in intense ultrafast laser pulses

The interaction of an intense laser field with a beam of atomic ions has been investigated experimentally for the first time. The ionization dynamics of Ar+ ions and Ar neutrals in a 60 fs, 790 nm laser pulse have been compared and contrasted at intensities up to 10(16) W cm-2. Our results show that nonsequential ionization from an Ar+ target is strongly suppressed compared with that from the corresponding neutral target. We have also observed for the first time the strong field ionization of high lying target metastable levels in the Ar+ beam.     

Coherent microwave rayleigh scattering from resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization in argon

Multiphoton ionization and electron recombination processes are studied in argon using coherent microwave Rayleigh scattering from a localized, resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization produced plasma. A time dependent one-dimensional plasma dynamic model is developed to predict the time evolution of the microwave scattering from the plasma. Experimental results of the argon ionization spectrum and electron recombination rates are in good agreement with the model predictions.     

Theoretical analysis on the efficiency of optical-optical double-color double-resonance multiphoton ionization

Analytic formula of the efficiency of optical-optical double-color double-resonance multi-photon ionization （OODR-MPI） is derived from the dynamic rate equation about the interaction of photon and material. Based on this formula, the influence of characteristic of the pump and probe laser on the ionization efficiency of （1＋2＋1） OODR-MPI process is simulated theoretically. It is shown that the pump laser will affect the ionization efficiency by the number control of the molecules excited to the first resonance state. The ionization efficiency is decided by the probe laser directly. Both of the excited molecules and ionization efficiency increase with the intensity and pulse duration of the laser until saturation. It is also found that the longer the delay time of the probe laser to the pump one is, the lower the ionization efficiency would be. The delay time ought to be smaller than the lifetime of the excited molecule in the practical use of the OODR-MPI technique.     

Many-body ionization in a frozen Rydberg gas

In a dense gas of 300 microK 85Rb atoms of n approximately 50 ionization occurs on a 100 ns time scale, far too fast to be explained by the motion of the atoms or photoionization by 300 K blackbody radiation. Rapid ionization is accompanied by spectral broadening, with the spectrum becoming continuous at n=88 at a density of 5x10(10)cm(-3). The atomic transitions broaden both smoothly and by the emergence of new features, which we attribute to multiple atom absorptions. We attribute the rapid ionization to a sequence of near resonant dipole-dipole transitions through virtual states in this intrinsically many-body system, culminating in the ionization of some of the atoms.     

Resonance ionization spectroscopy of thorium

Here we describe experiments aimed at developing an element-selective ion source for thorium (Th). The technique applied is resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) with a thermal atom beam. Ionization schemes for isotopically nonselective ionization of Th as well as for isotopically selective ionization of ²³⁰Th are proposed. The RIS-scheme used is two-photon two-colour ionization with excitation in the ultraviolet spectral range between 244 nm and 267 nm or in the visible spectral range between 485 nm and 529 nm. Ionization of the excited atoms is performed either by ultraviolet photons or by visible photons, depending on the energy required for this process.     

Probing time delay of strong-field resonant above-threshold ionization

The high-resolution three-dimensional photoelectron momentum distributions via above-threshold ionization(ATI)of Xe atoms are measured in an intense near circularly polarized laser field using velocity map imaging and tomography reconstruction. Compared to the linearly polarized laser field, the employed near circularly polarized laser field imposes a more strict selection rule for the transition via resonant excitation, and therefore we can selectively enhance the resonant ATI through certain atomic Rydberg states. Our results show the self-reference ionization delay, which is determined from the difference between the measured streaking angles for nonadiabatic ATI via the 4 f and 5 f Rydberg states, is 45.6 as. Our method provides an accessible route to highlight the role of resonant transition between selected states, which will pave the way for fully understanding the ionization dynamics toward manipulating electron motion as well as reaction in an ultrafast time scale.