Strong-field ionization via high-order Coulomb corrected strong-field approximation

TL;DR

This paper analytically investigates Coulomb corrections in photoelectron momentum distributions during laser-induced ionization, introducing a high-order Coulomb corrected strong-field approximation that simplifies calculations and analyzes quantum effects on tunneling delay.

Contribution

It develops a high-order Coulomb corrected strong-field approximation using saddle-point integration, simplifying matrix element derivation and analyzing Coulomb correction effects.

Findings

High-order Coulomb corrections cause measurable momentum shifts.

The new method avoids Coulomb singularities in calculations.

Quantum corrections relate to tunneling delay time.

Abstract

Signatures of the Coulomb corrections in the photoelectron momentum distribution during laser-induced ionization of atoms or ions in tunneling and multiphoton regimes are investigated analytically in the case of an one-dimensional problem. High-order Coulomb corrected strong-field approximation is applied, where the exact continuum state in the S-matrix is approximated by the eikonal Coulomb-Volkov state including the second-order corrections to the eikonal. Although, without high-order corrections our theory coincides with the known analytical R-matrix (ARM) theory, we propose a simplified procedure for the matrix element derivation. Rather than matching the eikonal Coulomb-Volkov wave function with the bound state as in the ARM-theory to remove the Coulomb singularity, we calculate the matrix element via the saddle-point integration method as by time as well as by coordinate, and in this way avoiding the Coulomb singularity. The momentum shift in the photoelectron momentum distribution with respect to the ARM-theory due to high-order corrections is analyzed for tunneling and multiphoton regimes. The relation of the quantum corrections to the tunneling delay time is discussed