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Short Wavelength Coherent Radiation: Generation and Applications

On the Theory of Multiphoton Ionization of Atoms

A. Szöke

Published Jan 1, 1986• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A simple, "exactly solvable" atomic model will be presented that helps to discuss some of the interesting features of multiphoton ionization of atoms. The electromagnetic field is treated non-perturbatively, it can be strong. The atomic electrons are assumed to be non-interacting (Hartree model). They are bound in a harmonic oscillator potential (one- or three-dimensional). At the ionization energy, the potential is cut off and the free electron has no Coulomb attraction. The Schrodinger equation has exact analytic solutions valid in the inner or outer regions. If the field is turned on adiabatically, the exact solution can be found by matching these solutions at the boundary; both of their value and the normal derivative at all times. Thus the machine calculation reduces to repeated application of fast Fourier transforms and to the solution of linear equations (unfortunately a lot of them).

DOI
10.1364/swcr.1986.tuc2

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A simple, "exactly solvable" atomic model will be presented that helps to discuss some of the interesting features of multiphoton ionization of atoms. The electromagnetic field is treated non-perturbatively, it can be strong. The atomic electrons are assumed to be non-interacting (Hartree model). They are bound in a harmonic oscillator potential (one- or three-dimensional). At the ionization energy, the potential is cut off and the free electron has no Coulomb attraction. The Schrodinger equation has exact analytic solutions valid in the inner or outer regions. If the field is turned on adiabatically, the exact solution can be found by matching these solutions at the boundary; both of their value and the normal derivative at all times. Thus the machine calculation reduces to repeated application of fast Fourier transforms and to the solution of linear equations (unfortunately a lot of them).
A general framework for description of quantum systems in strong external fields is established. The most important application of the theory is concerned with the multiphoton ionization of atoms and molecules. The adiabatic approximation is developed. The Hamiltonian of the system is diagonalized by a time-dependent unitary transformation, which generates an interaction energy vanishing for very slow fields. A general analysis of the photoionization rates is performed. A specific model is considered: one-dimensional motion in the δ-function potential and external harmonic electric field. This model allows the exact solution for time-dependent eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. These solutions are compared with the conventional free electron approach to the ionization states.
We have discussed the problems of non linear interaction between electromagnetic radiations with atoms from semi-classical point of view. Time dependent Schrödinger equation for single electron system is solved by using perturbative technique to obtain transition probability. Higher order perturbation is also discussed which is used in multiple processes, in which two or more quanta are emitted instead of a single photon. The theory is based on assumption that the perturbation is small. From this transition probability ionization rate and absorption cross-section of hydrogen atom is calculated. Its variation with photon energy and field strength is analyzed which agrees very well with experimental observations.The Himalayan PhysicsVol. 3, No. 32012Page : 40-43
We outline a formalism and develop a computational procedure to treat the process of multiphoton ionization (MPI) of atomic targets in strong laser fields. We treat the MPI process nonperturbatively as a decay phenomenon by solving a coupled set of the integral Lippmann-Schwinger equations. As basic building blocks of the theory, we use a complete set of field-free atomic states, discrete and continuous. This approach should enable us to provide both the total and differential cross sections of MPI of atoms with one and two electrons. As an illustration, we apply the proposed procedure to a simple model of MPI from a square-well potential and to the hydrogen atom.
The authors have formulated a new non-perturbative gauge-invariant analytical approach for solving the multiphoton ionization problem for a one-dimensional atomic system with a finite-range binding potential. Their method is based on the quasistationary state decay picture of ionization. They have applied the general solution to the model potential with the oscillator-like well and carried out the detailed analytical analysis of the ionization process. In the limit of moderately strong low-frequency laser fields and shallow potential wells, the authors' results reduce to those obtained for the case of an atom with the delta -well binding potential. For a finite-range binding potential one can distinguish the following peculiarities: (1) even for the case of non-resonant external field a sufficiently large number of binding states can lead to considerable changes in the multiphoton ionization; (2) in the case when the one-photon channel is open and the laser field is strong enough an atom becomes more stable as the field intensity is increased.
In the first part of this thesis, a new variational principle is presented for the calculation of perturbative transition amplitudes of any order but free from any singularities. Applications are made to the multiphoton ionization and harmonic generation for atomic hydrogen. Its formulations in hyperspherical coordinates as well as in Hartree-Fock representation are also presented. In the second part of this thesis, theories for multiphoton detachment in a static electric or magnetic field are developed. They are based on the analytic solutions of an electron in the combined field of a laser and a static electric or magnetic field, and, therefore, are nonperturbative in both the laser intensity and the static electric or magnetic field strength. Heretofore unexpected cyclotron resonances, which are due to the infinite range character of the electron-photon coupling induced by the external magnetic field, are shown to exist under certain conditions.
Studies of multiphoton ionization of atoms have revealed several unexpected characteristics. The confluence of the experimental evidence leads to the hypothesis that the basic character of the atomic response involves highly organized, coherent motions of entire atomic shells. The important regime, for which the radiative field strength is greater than an atomic unit (e/a(2)(0)), can be viewed in approximate correspondence with the physics of fast (approximately 10 MeV per atomic mass unit) atom-atom scattering. This physical picture provides a basis for the expectation that stimulated emission in the x-ray range can be produced by direct, highly nonlinear coupling of ultraviolet radiation to atoms.