The multielectron dissociative ionization dynamics of N 2 molecule in intense femtosecond laser fields with arbitrary polarization

Abstract

The field-ionization Coulomb explosion model is extended to investigate the multielectron dissociative ionization process of N2 molecule irradiated by an intense femtosecond laser field with an arbitrary polarization. The ionization process of N2 molecule is found to be optimal at the critical internuclear distance Rc=7a.u., which is independent of the laser polarization state, the molecular explosion channel and the angle between the molecular axis and the direction of laser electric field. The kinetic energies of the ion fragments are identical in the cases of linear and circular polarizations at the same incident laser intensity. However, the probability of electron ionization is very sensitive to the above three parameters. At the critical distance Rc=7a.u. the angular dependence of the threshold intensity for the over-the-barrier ionization leads to the geometric alignment of molecules in the case of linear polarization. The threshold intensity in the case of circular polarization is apparently higher than that in the case of linear polarization, which can well explain the significant decrease of ionization in the case of circular polarization. The numerical calculations are compared with the experimental measurements.