Single- and multiple-electron dynamics in the strong-field tunneling limit

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 UTC 1998 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.58.3942· OSTI ID:663716

Sheehy, B; Lafon, R; Widmer, M; Walker, B; DiMauro, L F ^[1]; Agostini, P A ^[2]; Kulander, K C ^[3]

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1. Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)
2. Service des Photons, Atomes et Molecules, Centre dEtudes de Saclay, 91191 Gif Sur Yvette (France)
3. Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)

Evolution of atomic ionization into the strong-field limit offers the opportunity to study the fundamentals of atom-laser interaction. In this study, we report on high precision measurements of the ion and electron distributions from laser-excited helium and neon atoms which reflect the changing continuum dynamics as the ionization process evolves into the pure tunneling regime. The experiments present evidence of both single- and two-electron ionization. These data provide a direct quantitative test of various theories of strong-field ionization. We show that a relatively simple semiclassical model which includes a description of a field-driven electron elastically rescattering from an accurate ion core potential reproduces the measured electron distributions for both atoms. However, using this model to calculate e-2e inelastic rescattering yields cross sections which are incompatible with the measured two-electron ionization. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 663716
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 58; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
EXCITATION
EXCITED STATES
HELIUM
INELASTIC SCATTERING
NEON
PHOTOIONIZATION
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
TUNNEL EFFECT