Strong-field Ionization Processes Research Articles

Sub-barrier Coulomb effects on the interference pattern in tunneling-ionization photoelectron spectra

We use a quantum trajectory-based semi-classical method to account for Coulomb interaction between the photoelectron and the parent ion in the classically forbidden, sub-barrier region during strong-field tunneling ionization processes. We show that---besides the well-known modification of the tunneling ionization probability---there is also an influence on the interference pattern in the photoelectron spectra. In the long-wavelength limit, the shift of the intra-cycle interference fringes caused by sub-barrier Coulomb effects in the laser polarization direction can be derived analytically. We compare our results with \emph{ab initio} solutions of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation and find good agreement in the long-wavelength regime, whereas the standard strong field approximation fails. We show that the nodal structure along low-order above-threshold ionization rings is also affected by sub-barrier Coulomb effects.

Adiabatic approximation within time-dependent density functional theory using inversion of the ground-state spin-density Kohn–Sham formalism

It has recently been shown by Thiele et al. [M. Thiele, E. K. U. Gross, S. Kümmel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100 (2008) 153004] that the exact adiabatic approximation in time-dependent density functional theory gives a good description of non-sequential double ionization in the one-dimensional helium atom. In this paper, we propose an adiabatic approximation based on the inversion of ground-state spin-density functional theory and apply it to several model systems. We demonstrate that our approach reproduces the derivative discontinuity and yields correlation potentials close to the exact correlation potentials for a strong-field ionization process as well as for the 1D H 2 and LiH molecules at large internuclear distance.

Monte Carlo Wave Packet Theory of Dissociative Double Ionization

Nuclear dynamics in strong-field double ionization processes is predicted using a stochastic Monte Carlo wave packet technique. Using input from electronic structure calculations and strong-field electron dynamics the description allows for field-dressed dynamics within a given molecule as well as transitions between several different charge states. The description is computationally efficient and applicable to a wide range of systems. As a proof of principle, theoretical nuclear kinetic energy release spectra for H2 (D2) in strong near-infrared laser pulses of 40 fs duration are compared to experiments and very good agreement is obtained.

Angular Tunneling Ionization Probability of Fixed-in-SpaceH2Molecules in Intense Laser Pulses

We propose a new approach to obtain molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions from molecules ionized by intense laser pulses. With our method we study the angular tunnel ionization probability of H2 at a wavelength of 800 nm over an intensity range of 2-4.5 x 10(14) W/cm2. We find an anisotropy that is stronger than predicted by any existing model. To explain the observed anisotropy and its strong intensity dependence we develop an analytical model in the framework of the strong-field approximation. It expresses molecular ionization as a product of atomic ionization rate and a Fourier transform of the highest occupied molecular orbital filtered by the strong-field ionization process.