Interpreting tunneling time in circularly polarized strong-laser ionization

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to measure tunneling time in circularly polarized laser ionization by analyzing phase shifts in ionization yields, revealing tunneling times of tens of attoseconds and their dependence on laser wavelength.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach using phase shifts in ionization yields to probe tunneling time, employing a Wigner rotation technique for numerical solutions.

Findings

Tunneling time is on the order of tens of attoseconds.

Shorter wavelength lasers result in longer tunneling times.

Phase shifts in ionization yield can effectively probe tunneling dynamics.

Abstract

We propose a method to study the tunneling process by analyzing the time-dependent ionization yield in circularly polarized laser. A numerical calculation shows that for an atom exposed to a long laser pulse, if its initial electronic state wave function is non-spherical symmetric, the delayed phase shift of the ionization rate vs. the laser cycle period in real time in the region close to the peak intensity of the laser pulse can be used to probe the tunneling time. In this region, an obvious delay phase shift is observed, showing the tunneling time is in order of tens of attoseconds. Further study shows the atom has a longer tunneling time in the ionization under a shorter wavelength laser pulse. In our method, a Wigner rotation technique is employed to numerically solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation of a single-active-electron in a three dimensional spherical coordinate system.