Dressed-bound-state molecular strong-field approximation: Application to above-threshold ionization of heteronuclear diatomic molecules

Abstract

The molecular strong-field approximation (MSFA), which includes dressing of the molecular bound state, is introduced and applied to above-threshold ionization of heteronuclear diatomic molecules. Expressions for the laser-induced molecular dipole and polarizability as functions of the laser parameters (intensity and frequency) and molecular parameters [molecular orientation, dipole, and parallel and perpendicular polarizabilities of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)] are presented. Our previous MSFA theory, which incorporates the rescattering effects, is generalized from homonuclear to heteronuclear diatomic molecules. Angle- and energy-resolved high-order above-threshold ionization spectra of oriented heteronuclear diatomic molecules, exemplified by the carbon monoxide (CO) molecule, exhibit pronounced minima, which can be related to the shape of their HOMO-electron-density distribution. For the CO molecule we have found an analytical condition for the positions of these minima. We have also shown that the effect of the dressing of the HOMO is twofold: (i) the laser-induced Stark shift decreases the ionization yield and (ii) the laser-induced time-dependent dipole and polarizability change the oscillatory structure of the spectra.