Quantum interference in laser-induced nonsequential double ionization in diatomic molecules: the role of alignment and orbital symmetry

Abstract

We address the influence of the orbital symmetry and of the molecular alignment with respect to the laser-field polarization on laser-induced nonsequential double ionization of diatomic molecules, in the length and velocity gauges. We work within the strong-field approximation and assume that the second electron is dislodged by electron-impact ionization, and also consider the classical limit of this model. We show that the electron-momentum distributions exhibit interference maxima and minima due to the electron emission at spatially separated centers. The interference patterns survive the integration over the transverse momenta for a small range of alignment angles, and are sharpest for parallel-aligned molecules. Due to the contributions of transverse-momentum components, these patterns become less defined as the alignment angle increases, until they disappear for perpendicular alignment. This behavior influences the shapes and the peaks of the electron momentum distributions.

12 pages, 7 figures; some discussions have been extended and some figures slightly modified

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Cited by in corpus (13)

• Symphony on Strong Field Approximation
• Laser-induced nonsequential double ionization at and above the recollision-excitation-tunneling threshold
• Intensity dependence of strong field double ionization mechanisms: from field-assisted recollision ionization to recollision-assisted field ionization
• Treating Branch Cuts in Quantum Trajectory Models for Photoelectron Holography
• Laser-induced nonsequential double ionization: kinematic constraints for the recollision-excitation-tunneling mechanism
• Non-sequential double ionization below laser-intensity threshold: Anticorrelation of electrons without excitation of parent ion
• Excitation, two-center interference and the orbital geometry in laser-induced nonsequential double ionization of diatomic molecules
• Detangling the quantum tapestry of intra-channel interference in below-threshold nonsequential double ionization with few-cycle laser pulses
• Attoscience in Phase Space
• One and two-center processes in high-order harmonic generation in diatomic molecules: influence of the internuclear separation
• Laser-induced nonsequential double ionization in diatomic molecules: one and two-center rescattering scenarios
• Restricted-Geometry Quantum Models Beyond Atoms: Application of the Eckhardt-Sacha approach to NSDI in Diatomic Systems
• Applications of Adiabatic Approximation to One- and Two-electron Phenomena in Strong Laser Fields