# Laser-Induced Dissociative Recombination of Carbon Dioxide

## TL;DR

This study experimentally explores how strong laser fields induce dissociative recombination in CO₂, revealing electron localization dynamics and ionization probabilities that could inform control of molecular dissociation.

## Contribution

It provides new experimental insights into electron localization and recombination probabilities in laser-induced dissociation of CO₂, highlighting differences between first and second ionized electrons.

## Key findings

- Higher probability of electron localization to O+ compared to CO+
- Recombination probability of the first electron is three times higher than the second
- Laser-induced dissociation involves electron recapture after double ionization

## Abstract

We experimentally investigate laser-induced dissociative recombination of CO$_2$ in linearly polarized strong laser fields with coincidence measurements. Our results show laser-induced dissociation processes originate from an electron recombination process after laser-induced double ionization. After double ionization of CO$_2$, one electron is recaptured by the CO$_2^{2+}$ and localized to O$^+$ or CO$^+$ in the following dissociation process. We found that the probability of electron localization to O$^{+}$ is much higher than that to CO$^+$. Further, our measurements reveal that the recombination probability of the first ionized electron is three times as high as that of the second ionized electron. Our work may trigger further experimental and theoretical studies on involved nuclear and electron dynamics in laser-induced dissociative recombination of molecules and their applications in controlling molecular dissociation with ultrashort laser pulses.