# Molecular dissociation in few-cycle laser pulses: From attosecond to femtosecond pulse duration

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how diatomic molecules dissociate under laser pulses ranging from attoseconds to femtoseconds, highlighting the importance of electric field modeling in different temporal regimes.

## Contribution

It provides a systematic analysis of dissociation mechanisms across a wide range of pulse durations using direct solutions of the molecular Schrödinger equation.

## Key findings

- Different dissociation mechanisms dominate at various pulse durations.
- Realistic electric field modeling is crucial in the attosecond regime.
- Comparison between model and experimental pulses underscores modeling importance.

## Abstract

The dissociation dynamics of diatomic molecules interacting with (near) optical laser pulses of different duration is investigated by an elaborate discussion of the electric field of the laser and by a direct solution of the time-dependent molecular Schr\"odinger equation. The systematic variation of the pulse duration from the electronic time scale (attoseconds) to the nuclear time scale (femtoseconds) shows that the employed few-cycle laser pulses lead to well-known but quite different dissociation mechanisms. A comparative calculation with a model pulse and an experimentally realized attosecond pulse emphasizes that, and to what extent, a realistic modeling of the electric field is of central importance in the attosecond regime.