Effects of Elliptical Polarization on Strong-Field Short-Pulse Double Ionization

TL;DR

This paper predicts novel end-of-pulse behaviors in high-field atomic double ionization, demonstrating how elliptical polarization influences ion momentum distributions and allows differentiation between ionization mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a new analysis of elliptical polarization effects on double ionization, revealing a four-band structure and methods to distinguish ionization types.

Findings

Four-band structure in ion momentum distributions

Elliptical polarization enables clear distinction of ionization mechanisms

Predicted end-of-pulse behavior in high-field double ionization

Abstract

We predict new end-of-pulse behavior in high-field atomic double ionization. Calculations of atomic electron trajectories in short intense laser pulses confirm our analysis of elliptical polarization. We exhibit a four-band structure in ion momentum distributions under various ellipticities, and predict that sequential and non-sequential double ionization can be cleanly distinguished under elliptical polarization.