Dynamics of strong-field double ionization of H_2 in co-rotating two-color circularly polarized laser fields

Double ionization of H_2 in a co-rotating two-color circularly polarized(TCCP) laser field is theoretically investigated. By changing the ratio of electric field peak amplitudes of the TCCP laser pulses, the double ionization probability as a function of the laser intensity shows a clear knee structure, which is suppressed significantly in the case of the atom. Due to the large spatial range of the electronic initial distribution, with the analysis of classical trajectories of ionized electrons, it is found that the ionization of the electron in the farther distance increases the probability of recollision. Furthermore, the yield of nonsequential double ionization created by the recollision can be enhanced by controlling the amplitude ratio of the TCCP laser field.     

Effective fields in laser-driven electron recollision and charge localization

We propose a model to describe correlated two-electron dynamics in strong laser fields during laser-induced recollision between an electron and its parent ion. We derive an effective interaction potential which describes the effect of the laser-driven electron collision with an ion while retaining the correlation between the colliding and the bound electron. Using dissociative ionization of molecular hydrogen as an example, we analyze the dynamics of correlation-driven electron localization in a dissociating hydrogen molecular ion.     

Role of Nuclear Coulomb Attraction in Nonsequential Double Ionization of Argon Atom

The microscopic recollision dynamics in strong-field nonsequential double ionization of Ar atoms is investigated using three-dimensional classical ensembles. By adjusting the nuclear Coulomb potential, we can excellently reproduce the experimental results both within the laser intensity
regimes well above the recollision threshold and well below the recollision threshold quantitatively. More importantly, our trajectory analysis clearly reveals the particular electronic dynamics in recollision process: the momentum of the recolliding electron encounters a sudden change both in magnitude and in
direction when it approaches the nucleus closely, which show that the nuclear Coulomb attraction plays a key role in the recollision process of nonsequential double ionization of Ar atoms.     

Laser-induced recollision phenomena: interference resonances at channel closings

An analytical theory of the resonancelike phenomena in high-order above-threshold ionization is presented that explains details of the experimental spectra and theoretical simulations. It traces the observed features to the constructive interference of "quantum orbits" with long travel times at laser intensities where the N-photon ionization channels close. Characteristic differences show up between even and odd N. The effects are generic to all laser-induced recollision phenomena. For nonsequential double ionization, their signature in the momentum distribution of the final electrons is identified.     

Mechanism of delayed double ionization in a strong laser field

When intense laser pulses release electrons nonsequentially, the time delay between the last recollision and the subsequent ionization may last longer than what is expected from a direct impact scenario [recollision excitation with subsequent ionization (RESI)]. We show that the resulting delayed ionization stems from the inner electron being promoted to a sticky region. We identify the mechanism that traps and releases the electron from this region. As a signature of this mechanism, we predict oscillations in the ratio of RESI to double ionization yields versus laser intensity.     

碰撞阈值下氩原子非次序双电离

利用三维经典系综模型研究了碰撞阈值下氩原子的非次序双电离.计算结果表明,关联电子末态纵向动量主要分布在二、四象限,且在原点附近几乎没有分布;Ar²⁺离子末态纵向动量谱在零动量附近呈单峰结构.上述结果与实验结果 定量一致.轨迹分析表明,在碰撞阈值下,氩原子非次序双电离的微观物理机理在不同激光强度下是不相同的.当激光强度I=0.7×10¹⁴ W/cm²时,一次碰撞主导重碰撞过程.而当I=0.4×10^{14关键词： 非次序双电离 库仑引力 碰撞阈值 电子关联}     

Transition from strong-field sequential to nonsequential double ionization at near-infrared wavelengths and low intensities

Within a quantum-mechanical model, we investigate strong-field double ionization of a model helium atom by near-infrared, linearly polarized laser pulses at intensities far below the recollision threshold. The quantum simulations show a clear mechanism change from sequential to nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) as the laser intensity increases. For NSDI, the two-electron correlated momentum distribution exhibits a strong final-state Coulomb repulsion effect for high-energy photoelectrons, but absent for low-energy photoelectrons. This repulsion effect is ascribed to field double ionization from doubly-excited states populated by recollision of the first ionized electron when it returns to the parent ion. Such recollision-induced excited states are absent at ultraviolet wavelengths due to the very low returning kinetic energies, resulting to the absence of final-state repulsion effect in NSDI.     

Recollision dynamics and phase diagram for nonsequential double ionization with circularly polarized laser fields

A semiclassical quasistatic model is used to investigate the recollision dynamics in circularly polarized laser fields. A velocity window for recollision to occur is found. Only when the return electron's orbits are irregular does significant double ionization take place. The model reproduces the experimental results for magnesium and explains the apparently conflicting experimental results in terms of an analytical formula that demarcates the phase diagram for the nonsequential double ionization in circularly polarized laser fields.     

非序列双电离向饱和区过渡的电子最大关联度

本文采用三维半经典再散射模型系统地研究了 He 原子在 光强从域下到近序列双电离区强场作用下的非序列双电离问题, 统计了各种场强下最终电离的两个电子正负关联的几率之比, 发现发生最大正关联的场强处于向非序列 双电离饱和区过渡的区域, 并在关联纵向动量谱中展示了形成最大关联度的过程. 最后通过轨道"回溯"分析, 进一步研究了其背后的物理机理, 发现在碰撞后其中一个电子再散射和隧穿电子高速弱碰撞分别 是低场强和高场强下负关联比例增加的原因.     

Recollision during the High Laser Intensity Ionization of C60

Through C60, we address the role of electron recollision in the nonresonant, femtosecond laser ionization of large, highly polarizable molecules. We show how the electron trajectories are influenced by the laser field, the laser induced dipole field, and the Coulomb field of the ion core. Working at long wavelengths we observe recollision in C60 through the ellipticity dependence of the fragmentation it produces. The ionizing electron emerges from C60z+ (z = 3, 4) with a lateral velocity of approximately 12 angstroms/fs, approximately half its Fermi velocity. Despite the large lateral velocity and competing forces on the electron, recollision remains relatively probable for this scale of molecule.     

Strong-field double ionization of Ar below the recollision threshold

Nonsequential double ionization of Ar by 45 fs laser pulses (800 nm) at (4-7)x10;{13} W/cm;{2} was explored in fully differential measurements. Well below the field-modified recollision threshold we enter the multiphoton regime. Strongly correlated back-to-back emission of the electrons along the polarization direction is observed to dominate in striking contrast to all previous data. No effect of Coulomb repulsion can be found, the predicted cutoff in the sum-energy spectra of two emitted electrons is confirmed, and the potential importance of multiple recollisions is discussed.     

Nonsequential double ionization of Xe by mid-infrared laser pulses

With the three-dimensional semiclassical ensemble model, we studied the correlated electron dynamics in strong-field nonsequential double ionization of Xe by mid-infrared laser pulses over a wide range of laser intensities. Numerical results show that the correlated electron momentum distribution exhibits the strong back-to-back pattern at the lower laser intensity. It evolves into the side-by-side behavior as the laser intensity increases and presents the experimentally observed crosslike shape at high laser intensity. Different from the case of near-infrared region where recollision mainly occurs at the first returning, at the mid-infrared region recollision dominantly occurs at the later returnings. The windows of initial transverse velocity for the various multiple-returning recollision trajectories are different and are unambiguously determined by this semiclassical ensemble model.     

Multiorbital tunneling ionization of the CO molecule

We coincidently measure the molecular-frame photoelectron angular distribution and the ion sum-momentum distribution of single and double ionization of CO molecules by using circularly and elliptically polarized femtosecond laser pulses, respectively. The orientation dependent ionization rates for various kinetic energy releases allow us to individually identify the ionizations of multiple orbitals, ranging from the highest occupied to the next two lower-lying molecular orbitals for various channels observed in our experiments. Not only the emission of a single electron, but also the sequential tunneling dynamics of two electrons from multiple orbitals are traced step by step. Our results confirm that the shape of the ionizing orbitals determine the strong laser field tunneling ionization in the CO molecule, whereas the linear Stark effect plays a minor role.     

低于再碰撞阈值下强激光场原子非序列双电离

在最近的实验和理论研究中,我们探讨了氩原子和氖原子在红外强激光场中低于再碰撞阈值的非序列双电离问题。在研究中,我们发现在非序列双电离过程中,氖原子的电子关联表现为在激光偏振面内肩并肩出射,而对于氩原子的电子关联行为表现为在激光偏振面内的背对背出射,我们采用三维半经典模型（考虑电子隧道电离）很好地解释了实验结果。在阈值附近,我们发现电子在激光场中的多次散射以及电子再碰撞激发后电子隧道电离是氩原子反关联行为的主要原因,而电子在激光场作用下的单次碰撞是电子关联行为的主要原因。通过测量双电离过程中产生电子的横向电子动量分布,观察到了库伦聚焦效应,我们认为这是非经典的关联行为。最后,我们给出了氩原子和氖原子在激光场中阈值的解析模型,并给出了原子的关联和反关联激光强度区域.     

低于再碰撞阈值下强激光场原子非序列双电离(英文)

在最近的实验和理论研究中,我们探讨了氩原子和氖原子在红外强激光场中低于再碰撞阈值的非序列双电离问题。在研究中,我们发现在非序列双电离过程中,氖原子的电子关联表现为在激光偏振面内肩并肩出射,而对于氩原子的电子关联行为表现为在激光偏振面内的背对背出射,我们采用三维半经典模型(考虑电子隧道电离)很好地解释了实验结果。在阈值附近,我们发现电子在激光场中的多次散射以及电子再碰撞激发后电子隧道电离是氩原子反关联行为的主要原因,而电子在激光场作用下的单次碰撞是电子关联行为的主要原因。通过测量双电离过程中产生电子的横向电子动量分布,观察到了库伦聚焦效应,我们认为这是非经典的关联行为。最后,我们给出了氩原子和氖原子在激光场中阈值的解析模型,并给出了原子的关联和反关联激光强度区域。     

Electron correlations in nonsequential double ionization of argon atoms by elliptically polarized laser pulses

Using a classical ensemble model, we investigate the correlation behaviour of electrons originating from nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of argon atoms by the elliptically polarized laser pulses. Because of the ellipticity, not only the first electron to return but also the later return of tunneled electrons contribute significantly to NSDI. We mainly discuss two kinds of events of NSDI originating from the first and the second return separately. For the NSDI resulting from the recollision of the first return, the correlated electron momentum spectrum along the long axis of the laser polarization plane reveals an obvious V-like shape, located at the first and third quadrant. However, for the NSDI resulting from the recollision of the second return, the momenta of two electrons are distributed in the four quadrants uniformly. By analysing the trajectories of these two kinds, we find that the recollision energy and the laser phase at recollision are different for the first and second returning trajectories, which are responsible for the difference in the correlated behavior of the final electron momentum.     

Multiple recollisions in nonsequential double ionization below the recollision-ionization threshold

By using the three-dimensional classical ensemble model, the recollision dynamics in nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of Ar by 780-nm laser pulses at (6-1.2)×10¹⁴ W/cm² was extensively studied. We revealed the picture of multiple-recollision in the double ionization events at the laser intensity region below the recollision-ionization threshold. Via tracing the NSDI trajectories, it was found that the contribution of these multiple-recollision events increases as the laser intensity decreases. In this low intensity region, many multiple-recollision induced NSDI trajectories occur through the doubly excited states. The decay speed of the doubly excited state decreases with the decreasing laser intensity.     

Double Ionization Dynamics of Molecular Hydrogen in Ultrashort Intense Laser Fields

We experimentally investigate the double ionization of molecular hydrogen subjected to ultrashort intense laser pulses.The total kinetic energy release of the two coincident H~+ ions,which provides a diagnosis of different processes to double ionization of H_2,is measured for two different pulse durations,i.e.,25 and 5fs,and various laser intensities.It is found that,for the long pulse duration(i.e.,25 fs),the double ionization occurs mainly via two processes,i.e.,the charge resonance enhanced ionization and recollision-induced double ionization.Moreover,the contributions from these two processes can be significantly modulated by changing the laser intensity.In contrast,for a few-cycle pulse of 5fs,only the recollsion-induced double ionization survives,and in particular,this process could be solely induced by the first-return recollision at appropriate laser intensities,providing an efficient way to probe the sub-laser-cycle molecular dynamics.     

Role of XUV Photons in Atomic High-Order Above-Threshold Ionization Processes in IR+XUV Two-Color Laser Fields

We investigate the above-threshold ionization of an atom in a combined infrared(IR) and extreme ultraviolet(XUV) two-color laser field and focus on the role of XUV field in the high-order above-threshold ionization(HATI)process. It is demonstrated that, in stark contrast to previous studies, the XUV laser may play a significant role in atomic HATI process, and in particular, the XUV laser can accelerate the ionized electron in a quantized way during the collision between the electron and its parent ion. This process cannot be explained by the classical three-step model. Our results indicate that the previously well-established concept that HATI is an elastic recollision process is broken down.     

Rescattering of ultralow-energy electrons for single ionization of Ne in the tunneling regime

Electron emission for single ionization of Ne by 25 fs, 1.0 PW/cm(2) laser pulses at 800 nm has been investigated in a kinematically complete experiment using a "reaction microscope." Mapping the complete final state momentum space with high resolution, a distinct local minimum is observed at P(e parallel )=0, where P(e parallel ) is the electron momentum parallel to the laser polarization. Whereas tunneling theory predicts a maximum at zero momentum, our findings are in good agreement with recent semiclassical predictions which were interpreted to be due to "recollision."