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Title: Angular Tunneling Ionization Probability of Fixed-in-Space H{sub 2} Molecules in Intense Laser Pulses

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
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  1. National Research Council, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada)
  2. National Research Council, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada)
  3. Institut fuer Kernphysik, Universitaet Frankfurt, D-60486 Frankfurt (Germany)

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 H{sub 2} at a wavelength of 800 nm over an intensity range of 2-4.5x10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2}. 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.

OSTI ID:
21180140
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.033004; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English