Abstract
We present quantum mechanical calculations of the electron and ion momentum distributions following double ionization of a one-dimensional helium atom by ultrashort laser pulses (780 nm) at various intensities. The two-electron momentum distributions exhibit a clear transition from nonsequential to sequential double ionization. We provide strong evidence that rescattering is responsible for nonsequential ionization by calculating the momentum spectrum of the recoil ions—which we find in excellent agreement with recent experiments—and by analyzing the electronic center-of-mass motion via Wigner transforms.
- Received 22 February 2000
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.4707
©2000 American Physical Society