Analytic quantum-interference conditions in Coulomb corrected photoelectron holography

TL;DR

This paper derives approximate analytic formulas for ATI transition probabilities and photoelectron angular distributions, including Coulomb effects, to better understand holographic structures in strong-field ionization.

Contribution

It introduces more general analytic expressions that incorporate the residual binding potential, improving upon previous models and aligning well with numerical solutions.

Findings

Analytic expressions reproduce ATI side lobes and holographic patterns.

Coulomb effects and forward scattered trajectories are crucial for holography.

Holographic patterns vary significantly with field parameters.

Abstract

We provide approximate analytic expressions for above-threshold ionization (ATI) transition probabilities and photoelectron angular distributions (PADs). These analytic expressions are more general than those existing in the literature and include the residual binding potential in the electron continuum propagation. They successfully reproduce the ATI side lobes and specific holographic structures such as the near-threshold fan-shaped pattern and the spider-like structure that extends up to relatively high photoelectron energies. We compare such expressions with the Coulomb quantum orbit strong-field approximation (CQSFA) and the full solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for different driving-field frequencies and intensities, and provide an in-depth analysis of the physical mechanisms behind specific holographic structures. Our results shed additional light on what aspects of the CQSFA must be prioritized in order to obtain the key holographic features, and highlight the importance of forward scattered trajectories. Furthermore, we find that the holographic patterns change considerably for different field parameters, even if the Keldysh parameter is kept roughly the same.