21 research outputs found
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The plateau in above-threshold ionization: the keystone of rescattering physics
A review is presented of the rescattering plateau in laser-induced above-threshold ionization and its various features as they were discovered over time. Several theoretical explanations are discussed, from simple momentum conservation to the quantum-mechanical improved strong-field approximation and the inherent quantum orbits or, alternatively, entirely classical methods. Applications of the plateau to the extraction of atomic or molecular potentials and to the characterization of the driving laser pulse are also surveyed
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Interference structure of above-threshold ionization versus above-threshold detachment
Laser-induced electron detachment or ionization of atoms and negative ions is considered. In the context of the saddle-point evaluation of the strong-field approximation (SFA), the velocity maps of the direct electrons (those that do not undergo rescattering) exhibit a characteristic structure due to the constructive and destructive interference of electrons liberated from their parent atoms/ions within certain windows of time. This structure is defined by the above-threshold ionization rings at fixed electron energy and by two sets of curves in momentum space on which destructive interference occurs. The spectra obtained with the SFA are compared with those obtained by numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. For detachment, the agreement is excellent. For ionization, the effect of the Coulomb field is most pronounced for electrons emitted in a direction close to laser polarization, while for nearperpendicular emission the qualitative appearance of the spectrum is unaffected
Capture into Rydberg states and momentum distributions of ionized electrons
The yield of neutral excited atoms and low-energy photoelectrons generated by
the electron dynamics in the combined Coulomb and laser field after tunneling
is investigated. We present results of Monte-Carlo simulations built on the
two-step semiclassical model, as well as analytic estimates and scaling
relations for the population trapping into the Rydberg states. It is shown that
mainly those electrons are captured into bound states of the neutral atom that
due to their initial conditions (i) have moderate drift momentum imparted by
the laser field and (ii) avoid strong interaction ("hard" collision) with the
ion. In addition, it is demonstrated that the channel of capture, when
accounted for in semiclassical calculations, has a pronounced effect on the
momentum distribution of electrons with small positive energy. For the
parameters that we investigated its presence leads to a dip at zero momentum in
the longitudinal momentum distribution of the ionized electrons.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures in one zip-archiv
Laser assisted decay of quasistationary states
The effects of intense electromagnetic fields on the decay of quasistationary
states are investigated theoretically. We focus on the parameter regime of
strong laser fields and nonlinear effects where an essentially nonperturbative
description is required. Our approach is based on the imaginary time method
previously introduced in the theory of strong-field ionization. Spectra and
total decay rates are presented for a test case and the results are compared
with exact numerical calculations. The potential of this method is confirmed by
good quantitative agreement with the numerical results.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Thomson and Compton scattering with an intense laser pulse
Our paper concerns the scattering of intense laser radiation on free
electrons and it is focused on the relation between nonlinear Compton and
nonlinear Thomson scattering. The analysis is performed for a laser field
modeled by an ideal pulse with a finite duration, a fixed direction of
propagation and indefinitely extended in the plane perpendicular to it. We
derive the classical limit of the quantum spectral and angular distribution of
the emitted radiation, for an arbitrary polarization of the laser pulse. We
also rederive our result directly, in the framework of classical
electrodynamics, obtaining, at the same time, the distribution for the emitted
radiation with a well defined polarization. The results reduce to those
established by Krafft et al. [Phys. Rev. E 72, 056502 (2005)] in the particular
case of linear polarization of the pulse, orthogonal to the initial electron
momentum. Conditions in which the differences between classical and quantum
results are visible are discussed and illustrated by graphs
Nuclear recollisions in laser-assisted decay
Laser-induced nuclear recollisions following decay in the presence
of an intense laser field are investigated theoretically. We show that while an
intense optical laser does not influence notably the tunneling rate in
decay, it can completely change the particle spectrum. For intensities
of W/cm, the field is strong enough to induce
recollisions between the emitted particle and the daughter nucleus.
The energy gained by the particle in the field can reach 20 MeV and
suffice to trigger several types of nuclear reactions on a femtosecond time
scale. Similar conclusions can be drawn about laser-induced recollisions after
proton emission. Prospects for the experimental realization of laser-induced
nuclear recollisions are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; v2 extended the motivation and discussion about
experimental feasibility; results unchange