Separation of Recollision Mechanisms in Nonsequential Strong Field Double Ionization of Ar: The Role of Excitation Tunneling
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 043003 – Published 9 July, 2001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.043003
Abstract
Vector momentum distributions of two electrons created in double ionization of Ar by 25 fs, laser pulses at 795 nm have been measured using a “reaction microscope.” At this intensity, where nonsequential ionization dominates, distinct correlation patterns are observed in the two-electron momentum distributions. A kinematical analysis of these spectra within the classical “recollision model” revealed an -like process and excitation with subsequent tunneling of the second electron as two different ionization mechanisms. This allows a qualitative separation of the two mechanisms demonstrating that excitation-tunneling is the dominant contribution to the total double ionization yield.