Short-pulse laser-induced stabilization of autoionizing states
Heider N. Ereifej, J. G. Story
Atoms in doubly excited states above the first ionization limit can decay via autoionization in which an electron is emitted leaving an ion, or by photoemission which leaves the atom in a singly excited state. In this paper, it is demonstrated that interaction between the atoms and a laser pulse that is short compared to the autoionization lifetime can lead to large enhancement of the photoemission process by stimulating the atoms to emit a photon. Since the resultant singly excited atoms do not autoionize, this process can be viewed as an enhancement of the stabilization of the doubly excited atoms against autoionization. A simple theoretical model is outlined that shows good agreement with the experimental results.
Physical Review A•Aug 16, 2000•3 citations