Strong-field triple ionisation of atoms with p 3 valence shell

Jakub S Prauzner-Bechcicki,Jakub Zakrzewski,Dmitry K Efimov,Michał Mandrysz

doi:10.1088/1361-6455/abfe00

Abstract

The interaction of strong pulsed femtosecond laser field with atoms having three equivalent electrons in the outer shell (p 3 configuration, e.g. nitrogen) is studied via numerical integration of a time-dependent Schrödinger equation on a spatial grid. Single ionisation, double ionisation (DI) and triple ionisation (TI) yields originating from a completely antisymmetric wave function are calculated and extracted using a restricted-geometry model with the soft-core potential and three active electrons. The observed suppression of the ionisation yields for the non-sequential processes, in both DI and TI cases, is attributed to the action of the Pauli principle. Compared against earlier results investigating the s 2 p 1 configuration, we propose that the differences found here might in fact be accessible through electron’s momentum distribution.

Highlights

The study of correlations is the study of the complexity of the world around us
One of the amazing manifestations of the existence of correlations in nature is the phenomenon of non-sequential double ionisation (NSDI) in strong laser fields [1, 2]
[3,4,5], followed by the measurements of the ion recoil momentum and latter extraction of electrons’ momenta distributions with the famous finger-like structure [6, 7] forced researchers to acknowledge the fundamental role of electron–electron correlations played in NSDI

Summary

Introduction

One of the amazing manifestations of the existence of correlations in nature is the phenomenon of non-sequential double ionisation (NSDI) in strong laser fields [1, 2]. Reports from experiments showing the recorded double ionisation (DI) yield higher by several orders of magnitude than expected in the sequential electron escape processes. [3,4,5], followed by the measurements of the ion recoil momentum and latter extraction of electrons’ momenta distributions with the famous finger-like structure [6, 7] forced researchers to acknowledge the fundamental role of electron–electron correlations played in NSDI. In the process one of the electrons tunnels and begins to move away from its parent ion. As a result of the recollision, energy transfer occurs and the escape of the second electron is allowed

Methods

Results

Conclusion