Dissociation of D2+by UV and THz light pulses

Abstract

The dissociation of D${}_{2}$${}^{+}$ in the few-cycle UV and THz light pulses is studied by numerically simulating the time-dependent Schr\odinger equation. With only the UV pulse, we find the dissociation probability does not increase monotonously with the increasing of the UV pulse intensity or duration. The UV-triggered dissociation is streaked by the time-delayed THz light pulse, i.e., the nuclear momentum oscillates with the half of the THz period when the UV-THz time delay or the carrier envelope phase of the THz pulse is scanned. The difference of the maximum and minimum nuclear momenta equals the THz laser vector potential. The classical calculation of the Newtonian equation for a mass point moving on the THz light-modified molecular potential curves reproduces the quantum simulation results and therefore intuitively explores the physical scenario: The nuclear wave packets propagate along the THz field-dressed molecular potential curves adiabatically but make a fully diabatic transition, while the THz electric field changes direction. This study offers a visual angle to understand the molecular dissociation in the strong laser field with very long wavelengths.