Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze interferences in photoelectron spectra and momentum distributions in above-threshold ionization of homonuclear diatomic molecules. Two types of these interferences are found: two-ionization-center interferences for direct electrons and two-source–two-rescattering-center interferences for rescattered electrons. We extracted factors responsible for these interferences and analyzed them as functions of the photoelectron emission angle and energy. This is done for strong-field ionization of N\(_2\) and O\(_2\) molecules by an orthogonally polarized two-color laser field. Our second aim is to compare results and physical insights provided by our quantum-mechanical approach and our semi-classical method. Classical approach can explain the value of the cutoff energy for the direct and rescattered electrons and its dependence on the emission angle. In addition, our semi-classical approach provides an insight into the tunneling ionization origin of the process, quantifying its probability and enabling reconstruction of the main features of the photoelectron spectra. Nevertheless, only the quantum-mechanical approach that takes into account interference effects can explain important features of the photoelectron spectra. These effects play a particularly important role in molecular high-order above-threshold ionization spectra due to multicenter molecular structure. We have also examined the interference of partial contributions to the differential ionization rate and analyzed the contributions of atomic orbitals from which our molecular orbital is constructed. Concrete examples of the two-center interference minima are provided and explained using our quantum-mechanical T-matrix approach.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Becker, A., Faisal, F.H.M.: Intense-field many-body \({S}\)-matrix theory. J. Phys. B 38, R1–R56 (2005)
Becker, W., Grasbon, F., Kopold, R., Milošević, D.B., Paulus, G.G., Walther, H.: Above-threshold ionization: From classical features to quantum effects. Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 48, 35–98 (2002)
Busuladžić, M., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Milošević, D.B., Becker, W.: Angle-resolved high-order above-threshold ionization of a molecule Sensitive tool for molecular characterization. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 203003 (2008)
Busuladžić, M., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Milošević, D.B., Becker, W.: Strong-field approximation for ionization of a diatomic molecule by a strong laser field. II. The role of electron rescattering off the molecular centers. Phys. Rev. A 78, 033412 (2008)
Corkum, P.B.: Plasma perspective on strong field multiphoton ionization. Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1994–1997 (1993)
Corkum, P.B., Burnett, N.H., Brunel, F.: Above-threshold ionization in the long-wavelength limit. Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 1259–1262 (1989)
Gallagher, T.F.: Above-threshold ionization in low-frequency limit. Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 2304–2307 (1988)
Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Habibović, D., Busuladžić, M., Milošević, D.B.: Molecular strong-field approximation for photodetachment of electrons from homonuclear diatomic molecular anions. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 37, 813–819 (2020)
Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Milošević, D.B., Becker, W.: High-energy above-threshold detachment from negative ions. Phys. Rev. A 70, 053403 (2004)
Grasbon, F., Paulus, G.G., Chin, S.L., Walther, H., Muth-Böhm, J., Becker, A., Faisal, F.H.M.: Signatures of symmetry-induced quantum-interference effects observed in above-threshold-ionization spectra of molecules. Phys. Rev. A 63, 041402 (2001)
Habibović, D., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Busuladžić, M., Milošević, D.B.: Characteristics of the molecular above-threshold ionization by a bichromatic elliptically polarized field with co-rotating components. J. Phys. B 55(8), 085601 (2022)
Habibović, D., Milošević, D.B.: Ellipticity of high-order harmonics generated by aligned homonuclear diatomic molecules exposed to an orthogonal two-color laser field. Photonics 7, 110 (2020)
Habibović, D., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Busuladžić, M., Čerkić, A., Milošević, D.B.: Strong-field ionization of homonuclear diatomic molecules using orthogonally polarized two-color laser fields. Phys. Rev. A 102, 023111 (2020)
Habibović, D., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Busuladžić, M., Milošević, D.B.: Strong-field ionization of heteronuclear diatomic molecules using an orthogonally polarized two-color laser field. Phys. Rev. A 103, 053101 (2021)
Lein, M.: Molecular imaging using recolliding electrons. J. Phys. B 40(16), R135–R173 (2007)
Maxwell, A.S., Al-Jawahiry, A., Das, T., deMorisson Faria, C.F.: Coulomb-corrected quantum interference in above-threshold ionization Working towards multitrajectory electron holography. Phys. Rev. A 96, 023420 (2017)
Maxwell, A.S., Al-Jawahiry, A., Lai, X.Y., deMorisson Faria, C.F.: Analytic quantum-interference conditions in Coulomb corrected photoelectron holography. J. Phys. B 51, 044004 (2018)
Milošević, D.B.: Strong-field approximation for ionization of a diatomic molecule by a strong laser field. Phys. Rev. A 74, 063404 (2006)
Milošević, D.B., Becker, W.: X-ray harmonic generation by orthogonally polarized two-color fields: Spectral shape and polarization. Phys. Rev. A 100, 031401 (2019)
Okunishi, M., Itaya, R., Shimada, K., Prümper, G., Ueda, K., Busuladžić, M., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Milošević, D.B., Becker, W.: Two-source double-slit interference in angle-resolved high-energy above-threshold ionization spectra of diatoms. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 043001 (2009)
Okunishi, M., Shimada, K., Prümper, G., Mathur, D., Ueda, K.: Probing molecular symmetry effects in the ionization of N\(_2\) and O\(_2\) by intense laser fields. J. Chem. Phys. 127, 064310 (2007)
Popov, V.S.: Imaginary-time method in quantum mechanics and field theory. Phys. At. Nucl. 68, 686–708 (2005)
Salières, P., Carré, B., Le Déroff, L., Grasbon, F., Paulus, G., Walther, H., Kopold, R., Becker, W., Milošević, D.B., Sanpera, A., Lewenstein, M.: Feynman’s path-integral approach for intense-laser-atom interactions. Science 292, 902–905 (2001)
Schafer, K.J., Yang, B., DiMauro, L.F., Kulander, K.C.: Above threshold ionization beyond the high harmonic cutoff. Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1599–1602 (1993)
Sun, R., Lai, X., Yu, S., Wang, Y., Xu, S., Quan, W., Liu, X.: Tomographic extraction of the internuclear separation based on two-center interference with aligned diatomic molecules. Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 193202 (2019)
Wei, M., Quan, W., Sun, R., Xu, S., Xiao, Z., Zhou, Y., Zhao, M., Hao, X., Duan, C., Liu, X.: Two-center interference effect in ionization of diatomic molecules subject to close-to-circularly-polarized femtosecond laser fields. Phys. Rev. A 98, 063418 (2018)
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge support by the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Bosnia and Herzegovina and by the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth, Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Funding
The authors have not disclosed any funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have not disclosed any competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Photonics: Current Challenges and Emerging Applications.
Guest edited by Jelena Radovanovic, Dragan Indjin, Maja Nesic, Nikola Vukovic and Milena Milosevic.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Habibović, D., Gazibegović-Busuladžić, A., Busuladžić, M. et al. Strong-field ionization of diatomic molecules: quantum interferences and a semi-classical model. Opt Quant Electron 54, 505 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-022-03895-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-022-03895-2