Molecules in intense xuv pulses: Beyond the dipole approximation in linearly and circularly polarized fields

Abstract

The ionization dynamics of $\mathrm{H}_{2}{}^{+}$ in an intense xuv laser pulse is studied beyond the dipole approximation in fields of linear and circular polarization. Our theoretical work shows distinct signatures of new ionization mechanisms and subsequent dynamics. Both low- and high-energy electrons emerge from the interaction to yield a characteristic and universal multilobe structure in the angular distributions which is uniquely linked to the initial molecular orientation. Each lobe is associated with its own characteristic electron dynamics. The emission spectra reveal processes that can be associated with single-center scattering, but show also clear evidence of two-center interference dynamics that can be explained by a simple two-center interference-diffraction model capturing the symmetry differences between $1{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}$ and $1{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}$ initial states.