Multiple ionization of ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ in intense, linearly and circularly polarized light fields

There are significant differences in the multielectron dissociative ionization (MEDI) of ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ by 100-fs-long laser pulses (intensity ${10}^{15}{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{}\mathrm{cm}}^{-2})$ using linearly and circularly polarized light, with substantial suppression of ionization in the latter case. Enhanced ionization occurs in both instances at an internuclear distance (r) of ∼2.2 Å, with an increased propensity for MEDI at larger r values with circularly polarized light.