Photoelectron-spectroscopy of multi-photon ionization of rare gases with circularly and linearly polarized light

Above-threshold multiphoton ionization of xenon, krypton, and argon was studied with circularly and linearly polarized light (photon energy 1.17 eV and 2.33 eV). With linearly polarized light photoelectrons are preferentially ejected along the direction of the polarization vector. With circularly polarized light a strong suppression of ejected photoelectrons was observed; the measured yield of photoelectrons was reduced by factors of up to 80 depending on the laser intensity and the photon energy. The experimental results are compared with theoretical calculations based on a multiphoton-detachment model.