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Charge-state resolved above threshold ionization
Witzel1, Papadogiannis, Charalambidis
1Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Laser and Applications Division, P.O. Box 1527, 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Physical Review Letters
|September 8, 2000
Summary
Photoelectron spectra reveal double ionization in xenon atoms subjected to intense laser pulses. Doubly ionized atoms exhibit hotter electron distributions compared to singly ionized ones.
Area of Science:
- Atomic Physics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Laser-Matter Interactions
Background:
- Understanding atomic ionization dynamics under intense laser fields is crucial for fields like attosecond science.
- Xenon is a commonly studied atom due to its relatively low ionization potential and availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the photoelectron energy spectra resulting from the interaction of xenon with intense, short laser pulses.
- To identify and characterize contributions from both single and double ionization processes.
- To analyze the electron energy distributions for different ionization states.
Main Methods:
- Experimental measurement of photoelectron energy resolved spectra.
- Coincidence detection of photoelectrons with singly and doubly ionized xenon ions.
- Utilizing 60 femtosecond laser pulses at 800 nm with an intensity of 1x10^14 W/cm^2.
Main Results:
- Established the presence of double ionization contributions within the measured spectra.
- Verified the occurrence of a single ionization plateau in above-threshold ionization.
- Observed a significantly hotter electron energy distribution for doubly ionized xenon compared to singly ionized xenon.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms complex ionization pathways in xenon under intense laser fields.
- The findings provide insights into the energy partitioning during single and double ionization.
- The hotter electron distribution in double ionization suggests distinct acceleration mechanisms for multiply charged ions.