Controlling electron-ion rescattering in two-color circularly polarized femtosecond laser fields
Journal Article
·
· Physical Review A
- Univ. of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO (United States); JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
- Univ. of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Univ. of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan)
- Univ. of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Max-Born-Inst., Berlin (Germany)
- Max-Born-Inst., Berlin (Germany)
High-harmonic generation driven by two-color counter-rotating circularly polarized laser fields was recently demonstrated experimentally as a breakthrough source of bright, coherent, circularly polarized beams in the extreme ultraviolet and soft-x-ray regions. However, the conditions for optimizing the single-atom yield are significantly more complex than for linearly polarized driving lasers and are not fully understood. In this study we present a comprehensive study of strong-field ionization—the complementary process to high-harmonic generation—driven by two-color circularly polarized fields. We uncover the conditions that lead to enhanced electron-ion rescattering, which should correspond to the highest single-atom harmonic flux. Using a velocity map imaging photoelectron spectrometer and tomographic reconstruction techniques, we record three-dimensional photoelectron distributions resulting from the strong-field ionization of argon atoms across a broad range of driving laser intensity ratios. In combination with analytical predictions and advanced numerical simulations, we show that “hard” electron-ion rescattering is optimized when the second-harmonic field has an intensity approximately four times higher than that of the fundamental driving field. We also investigate electron-ion rescattering with co-rotating fields, and find that rescattering is significantly suppressed when compared with counter-rotating fields.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-99ER14982
- OSTI ID:
- 1690340
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1252126
OSTI ID: 1690342
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 93; ISSN 2469-9926
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Strong-field ionization with two-color circularly polarized laser fields
Controlling Nonsequential Double Ionization in Two-Color Circularly Polarized Femtosecond Laser Fields
Journal Article
·
Tue Mar 24 20:00:00 EDT 2015
· Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
·
OSTI ID:1690344
Controlling Nonsequential Double Ionization in Two-Color Circularly Polarized Femtosecond Laser Fields
Journal Article
·
Mon Sep 19 20:00:00 EDT 2016
· Physical Review Letters
·
OSTI ID:1690331