Ionization of the CO molecule in intense short two-color laser pulses

Abstract

We present numerical results for the CO single ionization in the intense short two-color laser pulses consisting of a fundamental laser field and its second harmonic. Using a time-dependent Hartree–Fock approach, the ionization probabilities have been computed for different choices of the fundamental field intensity, intensity ratio and relative phase difference between the two colors. When the fundamental field intensity runs from 1×1013 to 2×1014 W/cm2, the dominant contribution of the highest occupied molecular orbital to the CO two-color ionization is emphasized. The contribution of the inner valence orbitals can be manipulated by varying the relative phase and the intensity ratio. Present numerical results reveal a higher CO ionization probability when laser electric field points from the C nucleus towards the O nucleus.