Laser-induced deformation of triatomic molecules: Influence on tunnel ionization

Aleksei S. Kornev, Vladislav E. Chernov, and Boris A. Zon
Phys. Rev. A 96, 053408 – Published 10 November 2017

Abstract

We consider a type of light-dressing effect in molecules which is due to laser-induced deformation of molecules. We derive general formulas which describe the change of the equilibrium bond lengths, bending angles, and vibration frequencies for a polyatomic molecule. Up to the second-order terms in the field strength, the normal coordinates of the molecule are not changed. Explicit expressions for the change of the geometric parameters and vibration frequencies are found for a nonlinear triatomic molecule of the A2B type. These results are applied to calculation of the tunnel-ionization rates for H2O, H2O+, and SO2 molecules, both in ac and dc fields. The main influence of the laser-induced deformation on the tunnel ionization is due to the changes in Franck-Condon factors, which are determined by overlap of the nuclei wave function of the molecule and its residual ion. In a laser field with an intensity of 1014W/cm2, the contribution of the laser-dressing effect to the ionization rate is within 5% for H2O and H2O+, while accounting for this effect changes the ionization rate of the SO2 molecule by up to 20 times depending on the molecule's orientation with respect to the electric-field vector. Such a large difference is due to the electronic structures of these molecules.

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  • Received 28 July 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.053408

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Aleksei S. Kornev*, Vladislav E. Chernov, and Boris A. Zon

  • Voronezh State University, 394018 Voronezh, Russia

  • *a-kornev@yandex.ru
  • wladislaw.chernov@gmail.com
  • zon@niif.vsu.ru

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 5 — November 2017

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