Transition from non-sequential to sequential double ionisation in many-electron systems

Abstract

Obtaining a detailed understanding of strong-field double ionisation of many-electron systems (heavy atoms and molecules) remains a challenging task. By comparing experimental and theoretical results in the mid-IR regime, we have unambiguously identified the transition from non-sequential (e,2e) to sequential double ionisation in Xe and shown that it occurs at an intensity below $10^{14}$ Wcm${}^{-2}$. In addition, our data demonstrate that ionisation from the Xe 5s orbital is decisive at low intensities. Moreover, using the acetylene molecule, we propose how sequential double ionisation in the mid-IR can be used to study molecular dynamics and fragmentation on unprecedented few-femtosecond timescales.

12 pages overall, 5 pages of main text, 3 figures

References in corpus (2)

• Imaging an aligned polyatomic molecule with laser-induced electron diffraction
• Formation of very low energy states crossing the ionization threshold of argon atoms in strong mid-infrared fields

Cited by in corpus (5)

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• Density-based one-dimensional model potentials for strong-field simulations in $\text{He}$, ${\text{H}}_2^{+}$ and ${\text{H}}_2$
• Double-electron ionization driven by inhomogeneous fields
• Electromagnetic-radiation effects on alpha decay