Phase Structure of Strong-Field Tunneling Wave Packets from Molecules

Ming-Ming Liu, Min Li, Chengyin Wu, Qihuang Gong, André Staudte, and Yunquan Liu
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 163004 – Published 20 April 2016
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Abstract

We study the phase structure of the tunneling wave packets from strong-field ionization of molecules and present a molecular quantum-trajectory Monte Carlo model to describe the laser-driven dynamics of photoelectron momentum distributions of molecules. Using our model, we reproduce and explain the alignment-dependent molecular frame photoelectron spectra of strong-field tunneling ionization of N2 reported by M. Meckel et al. [Nat. Phys. 10, 594 (2014)]. In addition to modeling the low-energy photoelectron angular distributions quantitatively, we extract the phase structure of strong-field molecular tunneling wave packets, shedding light on its physical origin. The initial phase of the tunneling wave packets at the tunnel exit depends on both the initial transverse momentum distribution and the molecular internuclear distance. We further show that the ionizing molecular orbital has a critical effect on the initial phase of the tunneling wave packets. The phase structure of the photoelectron wave packet is a key ingredient for modeling strong-field molecular photoelectron holography, high-harmonic generation, and molecular orbital imaging.

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  • Received 7 December 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.163004

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Ming-Ming Liu1, Min Li4, Chengyin Wu1,2, Qihuang Gong1,2, André Staudte3, and Yunquan Liu1,2,*

  • 1Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • 2Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871, China
  • 3Joint Laboratory for Attosecond Science, National Research Council and University of Ottawa, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
  • 4School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

  • *Yunquan.liu@pku.edu.cn

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Vol. 116, Iss. 16 — 22 April 2016

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