Correlation dynamics between electrons and ions in the fragmentation of D{sub 2} molecules by short laser pulses

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2003 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.68.043412· OSTI ID:20640361

Tong, X M; Zhao, Z X; Lin, C D ^[1]

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1. J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-2601 (United States)

We studied the recollision dynamics between the electrons and D{sub 2}{sup +} ions following the tunneling ionization of D{sub 2} molecules in an intense short pulse laser field. The returning electron collisionally excites the D{sub 2}{sup +} ion to excited electronic states; from there D{sub 2}{sup +} can dissociate or be further ionized by the laser field, resulting in D{sup +}+D or D{sup +}+D{sup +}, respectively. We modeled the fragmentation dynamics and calculated the resulting kinetic-energy spectrum of D{sup +} to compare with recent experiments. Since the recollision time is locked to the tunneling ionization time which occurs only within a fraction of an optical cycle, the peaks in the D{sup +} kinetic-energy spectra provide a measure of the time when the recollision occurs. This collision dynamics forms the basis of the molecular clock where the clock can be read with attosecond precision, as first proposed by Corkum and co-workers. By analyzing each of the elementary processes leading to the fragmentation quantitatively, we identified how the molecular clock is to be read from the measured kinetic-energy spectra of D{sup +} and what laser parameters are to be used to measure the clock more accurately.

• OSTI ID: 20640361
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 68; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ACCURACY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CORRELATIONS
DEUTERIUM
DEUTERIUM IONS
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
EXCITATION
IONIZATION
KINETIC ENERGY
LASER RADIATION
MOLECULES
PULSES
TUNNEL EFFECT