Internal collision double ionization of molecules driven by co-rotating two-color circularly polarized laser pulses

Abstract

The double ionization process of molecules driven by co-rotating two-color circularly polarized fields is investigated with a three-dimensional classical ensemble model. Numerical results indicate that a considerable part of the sequential double ionization (DI) events of molecules occur through internal collision double ionization (ICD), and the ICD recollision mechanism is significantly different from that in non-sequential double ionization (NSDI). By analyzing the results of internuclear distances R = 5 a.u. and 2 a.u., these two recollision mechanisms are studied in depth. It is found that the dynamic behaviors of the recollision mechanisms of NSDI and ICD are similar. For NSDI, the motion range of electrons after the ionization is relatively large, and the electrons will return to the core after a period of time. In the ICD process, electrons will rotate around the parent ion before ionization, and the distance of the electron motion is relatively small. After a period of time, the electrons will come back to the core and collide with another electron. Furthermore, the molecular internuclear distance has a significant effect on the electron dynamic behavior of the two ionization mechanisms. This study will help to understand the multi-electron ionization process of complex systems.