The theoretical study of terahertz-streaking photoionization for ultrafast imaging of density matrix in rubidium atom

Abstract

Terahertz-streaking photoionization can be exploited to resolve ultrafast quantum beating and reconstruct the ultrafast evolution of density matrix. Here, we propose an experimental strategy to implement the method merely with the tabletop femtosecond system and magneto-optical trap reaction microscopy. The probe pulse consists of an ultraviolet pulse with pulse duration of about 30 fs and a strong terahertz pulse with strength of about 2.6 fs in rubidium-atom superposition. The population and coherence terms of the density matrix can be projected into different positions of the photoelectron momentum distribution. The reconstruction algorithm was designed to acquire the ultrafast evolution of density matrix from the time-dependent photoelectron spectrum. The experimental conception can demonstrate the newly proposed transient spectral method only with the commercial femtosecond laser system and magneto-optical trap reaction microscopy, thus preventing the complex laser system, such as extreme ultraviolet free electron lasers and attosecond higher harmonics, allowing a new metrology to explore the coherence dynamics of quantum systems.