Molecular strong-field approximation for photodetachment of electrons from homonuclear diatomic molecular anions

Abstract

Molecular strong-field approximation is applied to above-threshold detachment of homonuclear diatomic molecular negative ions. Differences between the photodetachment amplitudes for neutral diatomic molecules and diatomic anions, for both direct and rescattered electrons, are examined. Numerical results for the photoelectron spectra of C 2 − molecular anions for different intensities and wavelengths of a linearly polarized laser field and different molecular anion orientations are shown and discussed. Two-center destructive interference minima (suppression regions) in the rescattering part of the photoelectron spectra are observed. For molecules with molecular orientation defined by the angle θ L with respect to the laser-field polarization axis, these minima manifest as two parallel straight lines in the distribution of the photoelectron yield presented in the photoelectron momentum plane. These lines make the angle 90 ∘ − θ L , with the momentum component parallel to the laser-field polarization axis. Focal-averaged photoelectron spectra are also presented and analyzed.