Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Controlling backward-scattering photoelectron holography by attosecond streaking

Xiaoyang Yu, Min Li, Meng Han, Yunquan Liu

Published Jul 20, 2018• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We study the two-dimensional photoelectron momentum distribution in a synthesized field of an attosecond pulse and a weak infrared femtosecond pulse by solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation of He atoms. The photoelectron momentum spectra reveal fruitful interference structures. With a semiclassical model, we show that some of the photoelectron interference structures come from the interference between the direct and backward-scattering electron trajectories. Those backward-scattering electrons are freed by the attosecond pulse and then are hard rescattered with parent ions by the streaking infrared field. By changing the phase delay between the attosecond pulse and the infrared laser field, we find that two kinds of backward-scattering electron trajectories will contribute to the holographic pattern. We show that backward-scattering holography can be explored with attosecond streaking experiments.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.98.013415

Related papers

Photoelectron holography in strong-field tunneling ionization by a spatially inhomogeneous field

Yongkun Chen, Yueming Zhou, Jia Min Tan +3 more

Photoelectron holography in strong-field tunneling ionization is an efficient way to probe the structures and the ultrafast dynamics information of atoms and molecules. Manipulating the process of photoelectron holography is important for its application. Here, we study theoretically strong-field photoelectron holography in the spatially inhomogeneous field by solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. Our results show that the returning energy of the rescattering electron is greatly enhanced in the spatially inhomogeneous field, and the holographic interference pattern can be separated from other types of interference in the photoelectron momentum distribution. Moreover, our results show that the time window of tunneling ionization wherein the electron could be driven back to induce holography is broadened in the inhomogeneous field. These properties are beneficial for the application of photoelectron holography in probing the atomic and molecular structures and dynamics. The origin for these properties is analyzed with the classical trajectory model.

Physical Review A•Oct 12, 2021•11 citations

Steering continuum electron dynamics by low-energy attosecond streaking

Ji-Wei Geng, Wei-Hao Xiong, Xiang-Ru Xiao +2 more

A semiclassical model is developed to understand the electronic dynamics in the low-energy attosecond streaking. Under a relatively strong infrared (IR) pulse, the low-energy part of photoelectrons initialized by a single attosecond pulse (SAP) can either rescatter with the ionic core and induce interferences structures in the momentum spectra of the ionized electrons or be recaptured into the Rydberg states. The Coulomb potential plays essential roles in both the electron rescattering and recapturing processes. We find that by changing the time delay between the SAP and the IR pulse, the photoelectrons yield or the population of the Rydberg states can be effectively controlled. The present study demonstrates a fascinating way to steer the electron motion in the continuum.

Physical Review A•Aug 15, 2016•3 citations

Asymmetry in attosecond streaking from a degenerate state

Xiang-Ru Xiao, Hao Liang, Mu-Xue Wang +2 more

By the numerical solution to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation, we observe a remarkable asymmetry in the photoelectron streaking spectra when the ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ion is ionized by an attosecond pulse from the $2s$ state in the presence of a weak infrared pulse. An analytical theory based on the modified perturbation theory is developed to quantitatively account for the underlying mechanism. We find that a transition occurs between the degenerate $2s$ and $2p$ states under the influence of the infrared electric field before the arrival of the attosecond pulse. The observed asymmetry in the attosecond streaking is formed by the interference of photoelectrons ionized from the $2s$ and $2p$ states. Using the sensitivity of the asymmetry to the infrared (IR) electric field at the moment of attosecond photoionization, we show that the present finding provides a highly reliable way to fully characterize the IR waveform in the streaking experiment.

Physical Review A•Aug 30, 2017•1 citation

High-order photoelectron holography in the midinfrared-wavelength regime

Hicham Agueny, J. P. Hansen

We study the dynamical photoelectron holography of an excited hydrogen atom with a strong midinfrared laser field using numerical solutions of the three-dimensional time-dependent Schr\"odinguer equation. A clear holographic interference pattern of first and high order (hologram) is recorded in the two-dimensional (2D) momentum distribution of the photoelectron. The patterns are well reproduced by additional quantitative calculations based on the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. Here, the high-order interference effect is linked to the multsicattering of low-momentum electrons driven by the midinfrared laser field prior to ejection. The phenomenon manifests by low-momentum structures in 2D momentum distributions and is found to be sensitive to the change of the optical carrier-envelope phase (CEP). By analyzing the temporal evolution of the buildup of the hologram, we show that this sensitivity results from the birth time of the continuum wave packet with an offset in time during the subcycle dynamics, thus encoding information about the ionization mechanism which is mapped into the CEP-resolved 2D momentum distributions and angle-resolved photoelectron spectra. It is indeed an indicator that the ejected electrons exhibit a memory of their birth-time. These findings suggest that the CEP-resolved photoelectron holography serves as a tool for a direct measurement of attosecond dynamics. Furthermore, the effects due to such multiple scattering electron paths can be used to design new atom interferometers to highlight mechanisms that require higher accuracy.

Physical Review A•Aug 16, 2018•14 citations

Symmetry and Quantum Interference in the Attosecond Domain

C. Figueira de Morisson Faria, S. Hashim, J. Rivera-Dean +1 more

In this review, we examine the interplay of symmetry and quantum interference in the attosecond domain primarily through one- and two-electron photoelectron momentum distributions. Using our own work, we discuss how tailored laser fields provide control over dynamical symmetries, and how quantum-orbit methods make it possible to connect the resulting momentum-space structures to specific ionisation, propagation, and rescattering pathways. Particular emphasis is placed on ultrafast photoelectron holography and nonsequential double ionisation through recollision excitation with subsequent ionisation, where several distinct forms of quantum interference can be identified and manipulated. We also discuss how target properties, including the binding potential, orbital symmetry and parity, modify this mapping. Finally, we consider emerging opportunities offered by non-classical states of light, for which photon statistics and quantum fluctuations provide additional degrees of freedom for controlling symmetry and strong-field electron dynamics.

physics.atom-phCross-listedarXiv:2610.26901•Oct 20, 2026•0 citations

Temporal Young’s interference experiment by attosecond double and triple soft-x-ray pulses

Kenichi L. Ishikawa

We study a temporal version of Young's interference experiment by attosecond soft-x-ray pulses. The photoelectron energy spectra by attosecond double pulses exhibit an interference pattern, since we have no information on which pulse has generated the electron. We can re-establish the ``which-way'' information and control the interference visibility by changing the electron's momentum with phase-stabilized laser pulses, by an amount depending on the time of ionization. Moreover, if we use a triple pulse, we can realize a situation where the electron passes through a single and a double slit simultaneously to the same direction and is observed by the same detector.

Physical Review A•Aug 7, 2006•15 citations
We study the two-dimensional photoelectron momentum distribution in a synthesized field of an attosecond pulse and a weak infrared femtosecond pulse by solving the time-dependent Schr"odinger equation of He atoms. The photoelectron momentum spectra reveal fruitful interference structures. With a semiclassical model, we show that some of the photoelectron interference structures come from the interference between the direct and backward-scattering electron trajectories. Those backward-scattering electrons are freed by the attosecond pulse and then are hard rescattered with parent ions by the streaking infrared field. By changing the phase delay between the attosecond pulse and the infrared laser field, we find that two kinds of backward-scattering electron trajectories will contribute to the holographic pattern. We show that backward-scattering holography can be explored with attosecond streaking experiments.
Photoelectron holography in strong-field tunneling ionization is an efficient way to probe the structures and the ultrafast dynamics information of atoms and molecules. Manipulating the process of photoelectron holography is important for its application. Here, we study theoretically strong-field photoelectron holography in the spatially inhomogeneous field by solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. Our results show that the returning energy of the rescattering electron is greatly enhanced in the spatially inhomogeneous field, and the holographic interference pattern can be separated from other types of interference in the photoelectron momentum distribution. Moreover, our results show that the time window of tunneling ionization wherein the electron could be driven back to induce holography is broadened in the inhomogeneous field. These properties are beneficial for the application of photoelectron holography in probing the atomic and molecular structures and dynamics. The origin for these properties is analyzed with the classical trajectory model.
A semiclassical model is developed to understand the electronic dynamics in the low-energy attosecond streaking. Under a relatively strong infrared (IR) pulse, the low-energy part of photoelectrons initialized by a single attosecond pulse (SAP) can either rescatter with the ionic core and induce interferences structures in the momentum spectra of the ionized electrons or be recaptured into the Rydberg states. The Coulomb potential plays essential roles in both the electron rescattering and recapturing processes. We find that by changing the time delay between the SAP and the IR pulse, the photoelectrons yield or the population of the Rydberg states can be effectively controlled. The present study demonstrates a fascinating way to steer the electron motion in the continuum.
By the numerical solution to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation, we observe a remarkable asymmetry in the photoelectron streaking spectra when the He+{\mathrm{He}}^{+}He+ ion is ionized by an attosecond pulse from the 2s2s2s state in the presence of a weak infrared pulse. An analytical theory based on the modified perturbation theory is developed to quantitatively account for the underlying mechanism. We find that a transition occurs between the degenerate 2s2s2s and 2p2p2p states under the influence of the infrared electric field before the arrival of the attosecond pulse. The observed asymmetry in the attosecond streaking is formed by the interference of photoelectrons ionized from the 2s2s2s and 2p2p2p states. Using the sensitivity of the asymmetry to the infrared (IR) electric field at the moment of attosecond photoionization, we show that the present finding provides a highly reliable way to fully characterize the IR waveform in the streaking experiment.
We study the dynamical photoelectron holography of an excited hydrogen atom with a strong midinfrared laser field using numerical solutions of the three-dimensional time-dependent Schr\"odinguer equation. A clear holographic interference pattern of first and high order (hologram) is recorded in the two-dimensional (2D) momentum distribution of the photoelectron. The patterns are well reproduced by additional quantitative calculations based on the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. Here, the high-order interference effect is linked to the multsicattering of low-momentum electrons driven by the midinfrared laser field prior to ejection. The phenomenon manifests by low-momentum structures in 2D momentum distributions and is found to be sensitive to the change of the optical carrier-envelope phase (CEP). By analyzing the temporal evolution of the buildup of the hologram, we show that this sensitivity results from the birth time of the continuum wave packet with an offset in time during the subcycle dynamics, thus encoding information about the ionization mechanism which is mapped into the CEP-resolved 2D momentum distributions and angle-resolved photoelectron spectra. It is indeed an indicator that the ejected electrons exhibit a memory of their birth-time. These findings suggest that the CEP-resolved photoelectron holography serves as a tool for a direct measurement of attosecond dynamics. Furthermore, the effects due to such multiple scattering electron paths can be used to design new atom interferometers to highlight mechanisms that require higher accuracy.
In this review, we examine the interplay of symmetry and quantum interference in the attosecond domain primarily through one- and two-electron photoelectron momentum distributions. Using our own work, we discuss how tailored laser fields provide control over dynamical symmetries, and how quantum-orbit methods make it possible to connect the resulting momentum-space structures to specific ionisation, propagation, and rescattering pathways. Particular emphasis is placed on ultrafast photoelectron holography and nonsequential double ionisation through recollision excitation with subsequent ionisation, where several distinct forms of quantum interference can be identified and manipulated. We also discuss how target properties, including the binding potential, orbital symmetry and parity, modify this mapping. Finally, we consider emerging opportunities offered by non-classical states of light, for which photon statistics and quantum fluctuations provide additional degrees of freedom for controlling symmetry and strong-field electron dynamics.
We study a temporal version of Young's interference experiment by attosecond soft-x-ray pulses. The photoelectron energy spectra by attosecond double pulses exhibit an interference pattern, since we have no information on which pulse has generated the electron. We can re-establish the ``which-way'' information and control the interference visibility by changing the electron's momentum with phase-stabilized laser pulses, by an amount depending on the time of ionization. Moreover, if we use a triple pulse, we can realize a situation where the electron passes through a single and a double slit simultaneously to the same direction and is observed by the same detector.