Optimal control of strong-field ionization with time-dependent density-functional theory

Maria Hellgren, Esa Räsänen, and E. K. U. Gross
Phys. Rev. A 88, 013414 – Published 19 July 2013

Abstract

We show that quantum optimal control theory (OCT) and time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) can be combined to provide realistic femtosecond laser pulses for an enhanced ionization yield in few-electron systems. Using a one-dimensional model H2 molecule as a test case, the optimized laser pulse from the numerically exact scheme is compared to pulses obtained from OCT+TDDFT within the TD exact-exchange (TDEXX) and the TD local-density approximation (TDLDA). We find that the TDDFT pulses produce an ionization yield of up to 50% when applied to the exact system. In comparison, pulses with a single frequency but the same fluence typically reach to yields around 5%–15%, unless the frequency is carefully tuned into a Fano-type resonance that leads to 30% yield. On the other hand, optimization within the exact system alone leads to yields higher than 80%, demonstrating that correlation effects beyond the TDEXX and TDLDA can give rise to even more efficient ionization mechanisms.

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  • Received 28 March 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.88.013414

©2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Maria Hellgren1,2, Esa Räsänen3, and E. K. U. Gross2

  • 1International School for Advanced Studies, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
  • 2Max-Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle, Germany
  • 3Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, 33101 Tampere, Finland

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Vol. 88, Iss. 1 — July 2013

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