Evolution of dopant-induced helium nanoplasmas

TL;DR

This study investigates how dopant-induced helium nanoplasmas evolve under strong laser fields using experiments and simulations, revealing size-dependent resonances and ionization dynamics.

Contribution

It combines pump-probe experiments with molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the evolution and resonance behavior of dopant-induced helium nanoplasmas.

Findings

High helium ion yields observed

Resonance structures depend on droplet size

Inner ionization and resonant heating control charge states

Abstract

Two-component nanoplasmas generated by strong-field ionization of doped helium nanodroplets are studied in a pump-probe experiment using few-cycle laser pulses in combination with molecular dynamics simulations. High yields of helium ions and a pronounced, droplet size-dependent resonance structure in the pump-probe transients reveal the evolution of the dopant-induced helium nanoplasma. The pump-probe dynamics is interpreted in terms of strong inner ionization by the pump pulse and resonant heating by the probe pulse which controls the final charge states detected via the frustration of electron-ion recombination.