Probing molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions via high-order harmonic generation from aligned molecules

Abstract

We analyse the theory of single photoionization (PI) and high-order harmonic generation (HHG) by intense lasers from aligned molecules. We show that molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions can be extracted from these measurements. We also show that, under favourable conditions, the phase of PI transition dipole matrix elements can be extracted from the HHG spectra. Furthermore, by varying the polarization axis of the HHG generating laser with respect to the polarization axis of the aligning laser, it is possible to extract angle-dependent tunnelling ionization rates for different subshells of the molecules.