Double ionization of HeH+ molecules in intense laser fields

Area of Science:

• Quantum mechanics
• Atomic and molecular physics
• Laser-matter interactions

Background:

• Double ionization is a fundamental process in atomic and molecular physics.
• Understanding electron dynamics in molecules under intense fields is crucial for attosecond science.
• Heteronuclear molecules like HeH(+) present unique challenges due to their asymmetric charge distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the quantum mechanical double ionization of HeH(+) by intense laser pulses.
• To analyze the resulting two-electron momentum distributions and their dependence on laser intensity.
• To explore methods for controlling the ionization dynamics of heteronuclear molecules.

Main Methods:

• Quantum mechanical calculations were performed.
• Simulations involved intense laser pulses with varying intensities.
• Analysis focused on two-electron momentum distributions.

Main Results:

• Calculations revealed a clear asymmetry in the two-electron momentum distributions.
• This asymmetry was found to be dependent on the laser intensity.
• The asymmetric charge distribution of the HeH(+) molecule was identified as the cause of the observed asymmetry.

Conclusions:

• The asymmetric charge configuration of HeH(+) dictates the asymmetric electron momentum distributions during double ionization.
• Laser intensity serves as a controllable parameter for the ionization dynamics of heteronuclear molecules.
• A novel approach to control molecular double ionization dynamics has been proposed.