We present ionization probability and line shape calculations for the two-step 3-photon ionization process, $1S \stackrel{2\hbar ω}{\longrightarrow}2S \stackrel{\hbar ω}{\longrightarrow}εP $, of the ground state of hydrogenic atoms in a non-monochromatic laser field with a time--dependent amplitude. Within the framework of a three--level model, the {\it AC Stark} shifts and non-zero ionization rates of all states involved were taken into account together with spatial and temporal inhomogeneities of the laser signal. In contrast with the usual perturbative technique, the time evolution of the atomic states was simulated by direct numerically solving the system of coupled time--dependent inhomogeneous differential equations, being equivalent to the appropriate non-stationary Schrödinger equation. Particular numerical results were obtained for typical parameters of the pulsed laser field that are employed in a new experiment to measure the $1S-2S$ energy separation in muonium at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The shifts and asymmetries of the photoionization line shapes revealed may be of relevance for ultra-high precision experiments in hydrogen in CW laser fields.
The direct above-threshold ionization (ATI) of diatomic molecules in linearly-polarized infrared and extreme ultraviolet (IR+XUV) laser fields is investigated by the frequency-domain theory based on the nonperturbative quantum electrodynamics. The destructive interference fringes on the angle-resolved ATI spectra, which are closely related to the molecular structure, can be well fitted by a simple predictive formula for any alignment of the molecular axis. By comparing the direct ATI spectra for monochromatic and two-color laser fields, we found that the XUV laser field can both raise the ioni…
Photoionization of an atom $A$ by a strong laser field in the presence of a spatially well-separated neighboring atom $B$ is considered. The laser field frequency is assumed to lie below the ionization potential of atom $A$ and be resonant with a dipole-allowed transition in atom $B$. In this situation, the ionization may occur either directly by multiphoton absorption from the laser field at the first atomic center. Or via an indirect pathway involving two-center electron-electron correlations, where the neighbor atom $B$ is first photoexcited and, afterwards, transfers its energy upon deexci…
We demonstrate a prototype of a Focused Ion Beam machine based on the ionization of a laser-cooled cesium beam adapted for imaging and modifying different surfaces in the few-tens nanometer range. Efficient atomic ionization is obtained by laser promoting ground-state atoms into a target excited Rydberg state, then field-ionizing them in an electric field gradient. The method allows obtaining ion currents up to 130 pA. Comparison with the standard direct photo-ionization of the atomic beam shows, in our conditions, a 40-times larger ion yield. Preliminary imaging results at ion energies in the…
The high-order harmonic spectrum generated in two-color intense laser field under certain conditions has a pronounced maximum caused by the so called spectral caustic. Using a numerical solution of the 3D time-dependent Schrödinger equation we study the width of the maximum and the degree of the generation enhancement due to the caustic as a function of the fundamental intensity, wavelength, and atomic ionization potential. It is shown that the degree of this enhancement can be well quantitatively characterized by a single parameter: the ratio of the radius of the free electronic oscillation i…
