Signatures of molecular orbital structure in lateral electron momentum distributions from strong-field ionization

Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

Wave-particle duality is an inherent peculiarity of the quantum world. The double-slit experiment has been frequently used for understanding different aspects of this fundamental concept. The occurrence of interference rests on the lack of which-way information and on the absence of decoherence mechanisms, which could scramble the wave fronts. Here, we report on the observation of two-center interference in the molecular-frame photoelectron momentum distribution upon ionization of the neon dimer by a strong laser field. Postselection of ions, which are measured in coincidence with electrons, allows choosing the symmetry of the residual ion, leading to observation of both, gerade and ungerade, types of interference.

Multi-channel dynamics in high harmonic generation of aligned CO2: ab initio analysis with time-dependent B-spline algebraic diagrammatic construction

Electron-correlation effects on the multi-channel dynamics underlying strong-field HHG response of CO₂ molecule were demonstrated by ab initio ADC study.

Identifying the Tunneling Site in Strong-Field Ionization of H_{2}^{+}

The tunneling site of the electron in a molecule exposed to a strong laser field determines the initial position of the ionizing electron and, as a result, has a large impact on the subsequent ultrafast electron dynamics on the polyatomic Coulomb potential. Here, the tunneling site of the electron of H_{2}^{+} ionized by a strong circularly polarized (CP) laser pulse is studied by numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We show that the electron removed from the down-field site is directly driven away by the CP field and the lateral photoelectron momentum distribution (LPMD) exhibits a Gaussian-like distribution, whereas the corresponding LPMD of the electron removed from the up-field site differs from the Gaussian shape due to the Coulomb focusing and scattering by the down-field core. Our current study presents the direct evidence clarifying a long-standing controversy over the tunneling site in H_{2}^{+} and raises the important role of the tunneling site in strong-field molecular ionization.

Probing Molecular Dynamics by Laser-Induced Backscattering Holography

We use differential holography to overcome the forward scattering problem in strong-field photoelectron holography. Our differential holograms of H_{2} and D_{2} molecules exhibit a fishbonelike structure, which arises from the backscattered part of the recolliding photoelectron wave packet. We demonstrate that the backscattering hologram can resolve the different nuclear dynamics between H_{2} and D_{2} with subangstrom spatial and subcycle temporal resolution. In addition, we show that attosecond electron dynamics can be resolved. These results open a new avenue for ultrafast studies of molecular dynamics in small molecules.

Helicity sensitive enhancement of strong-field ionization in circularly polarized laser fields

We investigate the strong-field ionization from p± orbitals driven by circularly polarized laser fields by solving the two-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation in polar coordinates with the Lagrange mesh technique. Enhancement of ionization is found in the deep multiphoton ionization regime when the helicity of the laser field is opposite to that of the p electron, while this enhancement is suppressed when the helicities are the same. It is found that the enhancement of ionization is attributed to the multiphoton resonant excitation. The helicity sensitivity of the resonant enhancement is related to the different excitation-ionization channels in left and right circularly polarized laser fields.

Transverse electron momentum distribution in tunneling and over the barrier ionization by laser pulses with varying ellipticity

We study transverse electron momentum distribution in strong field atomic ionization driven by laser pulses with varying ellipticity. We show, both experimentally and theoretically, that the transverse electron momentum distribution in the tunneling and over the barrier ionization regimes evolves in a qualitatively different way when the ellipticity parameter describing polarization state of the driving laser pulse increases.

Nonadiabatic tunnel ionization in strong circularly polarized laser fields: counterintuitive angular shifts in the photoelectron momentum distribution

We perform time-dependent calculation of strong-field ionization of neon, initially prepared in 2p(-1) and 2p(+1) states, with intense near-circularly polarized laser pulses. By solving the three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we find clear different offset angles of the maximum in the photoelectron momentum distribution in the polarization plane of the laser pulses for the two states. We provide clear interpretation that this different angular offset is linked to the sign of the magnetic quantum number, thus it can be used to map out the orbital angular momentum of the initial state. Our results provide a potential tool for studying orbital symmetry in atomic and molecular systems.