Photoionization with Orbital Angular Momentum Beams

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of photoionization by photons carrying orbital angular momentum, revealing new selection rules and potential applications in quantum optics.

Contribution

It introduces a complete description of photoionization with OAM photons, including novel selection rules involving multiple units of angular momentum.

Findings

Derived new selection rules for photoionization with OAM photons.

Theoretically explored interactions of atoms with intense OAM beams.

Identified potential for novel quantum optics applications.

Abstract

Intense laser ionization expands Einstein's photoelectric effect rules giving a wealth of phenomena widely studied over the last decades. In all cases, so far, photons were assumed to carry one unit of angular momentum. However it is now clear that photons can possess extra angular momentum, the orbital angular momentum (OAM), related to their spatial profile. We show a complete description of photoionization by OAM photons, including new selection rules involving more than one unit of angular momentum. We explore theoretically the interaction of a single electron atom located at the center of an intense ultraviolet beam bearing OAM, envisaging new scenarios for quantum optics.