Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Directionally Asymmetric Tunneling Ionization and Control of Molecular Orientation by Phase-Controlled Laser Fields

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science VII

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Chemical Physics ((PUILS,volume 100))

  • 623 Accesses

Abstract

Intense \((1{0}^{12} - 1{0}^{13}{\mathrm{W/cm}}^{2})\) phase-controlled laser fields consisting of a fundamental light and a second-harmonic light induce directionally asymmetric tunneling ionization and the resultant selective ionization of oriented molecules. It is demonstrated that selective ionization of oriented molecules induced by phase-controlled ω + 2ω laser fields reflects the geometric structure of the highest occupied molecular orbital. This method is robust, being free of both laser wavelength and pulse-duration constraints, and thus can be applied to a wide range of molecules.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. H. Stapelfeldt, T. Seideman, Aligning molecules with strong laser pulses. Rev. Mod. Phys. 75, 543 (2003), and references therein

    Google Scholar 

  2. F. Krausz, M. Ivanov, Attosecond physics. Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 163 (2009), and references there in

    Google Scholar 

  3. L.V. Keldysh, Ionization in the field of a strong electromagnetic wave. Sov. Phys. JETP 20, 1307 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  4. F.H.M. Faisal, Multiphoton absorption of laser photons by atoms. J. Phys. B 6, L89 (1973)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. H.R. Reiss, Effect of an intense electromagnetic field on a weakly bound system. Phys. Rev. A 22, 1786 (1980)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. A.M. Perelomov, V.S. Popov, M.V. Terent’ev, Ionization of atoms in an alternating electric field. Sov. Phys. JETP 23, 924 (1966)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. M.V. Ammosov, N.B. Delone, V.P. Krainov, Tunnel ionization of complexatoms and of atomic ions in an alternating electromagnetic field. Sov. Phys. JETP 64, 1191 (1987)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Uiberacker, T.h. Uphues, M. Schultze, A.J. Verhoef, V. Yakovlev, M.F. Kling, J. Raushenberger, N.M. Kabachnik, H. Schröder, M. Lezius, K.L. Kompa, H.G. Muller, M.J.J. Vrakking, S. Hendel, U. Kleineberg, U. Heinzmann, M. Drescher, F. Krausz, Attosecond real-time obasevation of electron tunneling in atoms. Nature 446, 627 (2007)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. X.M. Tong, Z.X. Zhao, C.D. Lin, Theory of molecular tunneling ionization. Phys. Rev. A 66, 033402 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. C.D. Lin, X.M. Tong, Dependence of tunneling ionization and harmonic generation on the structure of molecules by short intense laser pulses. J. Photochem. Photobio. A 182, 213 (2006)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. J. Muth-Böhm, A. Becker, F.H.M. Faisal, Suppressed molecular ionization for a class of diatomics in intense femtosecond laser fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2280 (2000)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. A.S. Alnaser, S. Voss, X.M. Tong, C.M. Maharjan, P. Ranitovic, B. Ulrich, T. Osipov, B. Shan, Z. Chang, C.L. Cocke, Effects of molecular structure on ion disintegration patterns in ionization of O2 and N2 by short laser pulses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 113003 (2004)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. A.S. Alnaser, C.M. Maharjan, X.M. Tong, B. Ulrich, P. Ranitovic, B. Shan, Z. Chang, C.D. Lin, C.L. Cocke, I.V. Litvinyuk, Effects of orbital symmetries in dissociative ionization of molecules by few-cycle laser pulses. Phys. Rev. A 71, 031403(R) (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  14. P.B. Corkum, Plasma perspective on strong-field multiphoton ionization. Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1994 (1993)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. D.N. Fittinghoff, P.R. Bolton, B. Chang, K.C. Kulander, Observation of nonsequential double ionization of helium with optical tunneling. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 2642 (1992)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. B. Walker, B. Sheehy, L.F. DiMauro, P. Agostini, K.J. Schafer, K.C. Kulander, Precision measurement of strong field double ionization of helium. Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 1227 (1994)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. A. Tablebpour, S. Larochelle, S.L. Chin, Non-sequential and sequential double ionization of NO in an intense femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulse. J. Phys. B 30, L245 (1997)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. A. Baltuška, T.h. Udem, M. Ulberacker, M. Hentschel, E. Goulielmakis, C.h. Gohle, R. Holzwarth, V.S. Yakovlev, A. Scrinzi, T.W. Hänsch, F. Krausz, Attosecond control of electronic processes by intense light fields. Nature 421, 611 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. M. Shapiro, P. Brumer, Principles of the Quantum Control of Molecular Processes (Wiley, New York, 2003)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. M. Dantus, V.V. Lozovoy, Experimental coherent control of physicochemical processes. Chem. Rev. 104, 1813 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  21. G. Kurizki, M. Shapiro, P. Brumer, Phase-coherent control of photocurrent directionality in semiconductors. Phys. Rev. B 39, 3435 (1989)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Y.Y. Yin, C. Chen, D.S. Elliott, A.V. Smith, Asymmetric photoelectron angular distributions from interfering photoionization processes. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 2353 (1992)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Z-M. Wang, D.S. Elliott, Determination of the phase difference between even and odd continuum wave functions in atoms through quantum interference measurements. Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 173001 (2001)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. E. Dupont, P.B. Corkum, H.C. Liu, M. Buchanan, Z.R. Wasilewski, Phse-controlled currents in semiconductors. Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 3596 (1995)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. A. Hache, Y. Kostoulas, R. Atanasov, J.L.P. Hughes, J.E. Sipe, H.M. van Driel, Observation of coherently controlled photocurrent in unbiased, bulk GaAs. Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 306 (1997)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. E. Charron, A. Giusti-Suzor, F.H. Mies, Coherent control of isotope separation in HD +  photodissociation by strong fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2815 (1995)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. E. Charron, A. Giusti-Suzor, F.H. Mies, Coherent control of photodissociation in intense laser fields. J. Chem. Phys. 103, 7359 (1995)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. B. Sheehy, B. Walker, L.F. DiMauro, Phase control in the two-color photodissociation of HD + . Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 4799 (1995)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. M.R. Thompson, M.K. Thomas, P.F. Taday, J.H. Posthumus, A.J. Langley, F.J. Frasinski, K. Codling, One and two-colour studies of the dissociative ionization and Coulomb explosion of H2 with intense Ti:sapphire laser pulses. J. Phys. B 30, 5755 (1997)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. D. Ray, F.He.S. De, W. Cao, H. Mashiko, P. Ranitovic, K.P. Singh, I. Znakovskaya, U. Thumm, G.G. Paulus, M.F. Kling, I.V. Litvinyuk, C.L. Cocke, Ion-energy dependence of asymmetric dissociation of D2 by a two-color laser field. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 223201 (2009)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. K.J. Schafer, K. Kulander, Phase-dependent effects on multiphoton ionization induced by a laser field and its second harmonic. Phys. Rev. A 45, 8026 (1992)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. N.B. Baranova, H.R. Reiss, B. Ya. Zel’dovich, Multiphoton and tunnel ionization by an optical field with polar asymmetry. Phys. Rev. A 48, 1497 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  33. D.W. Schumacher, F. Weihe, H.G. Muller, P.H. Bucksbaum, Phase dependence of intense field ionization: a study using two colors. Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 1344 (1994)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. A.D. Bandrauk, S. Chelkowski, Asymmetric electron-nuclear dynamics in two-color laser fields: laser phase directional control of photodissociation in H2 + . Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3562 (2000)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. S. Chelkowski, M. Zamojski, A. D. Bandrauk, Laser-phase directional control of photofragments in dissociative ionization of H2 +  using two-color intense laser pulses. Phys. Rev. A 63, 023409 (2001)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. M.J.J. Vrakking, S. Stolte, Coherent control of molecular orientation. Chem. Phys. Lett. 271, 209 (1997)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. T. Kanai, H. Sakai, Numerical simulation of molecular orientation using strong, nonresonant, two-color laser fields. J. Chem. Phys. 115, 5492 (2001)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. S. Guérin, L.P. Yatsenko, H.R. Jauslin, O. Faucher, B. Lavorel, Orientation of polar molecules by laser induced adiabatic passage. Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 233601 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. K. Oda, M. Hita, S. Minemoto, H. Sakai, All-optical molecular orientation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 213901 (2010)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. C.M. Dion, A.D. Bandrauk, O. Atabek, A. Keller, H. Umeda, Y. Fujimura, Two-frequency IR laser orientation of polar molecules. Numerical simulation for HCN. Chem. Phys. Lett. 302, 215 (1999)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. M. Muramatsu, M. Hita, S. Minemoto, H. Sakai, Field-free molecular orientation by an intense nonresonant two-color laser field with a slow turn on and rapid turn off. Phys. Rev. A 79, 011403 (2009)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. R. Tehini, D. Sugny, Field-free molecular orientation by nonresonant and quasiresonant two-color laser pulses. Phys. Rev. A 77, 023407 (2008)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. S. De, I. Znakovskaya, D. Ray, F. Anis, Nora G. Johnson, I.A. Bocharova, M. Magrakvelidze, B.D. Esry, C.J. Cocke, I.V. Litvinyuk, M.F. Kling, Field-free orientation of CO molecules by femtosecond two-color laser fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 153002 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  44. H. Ohmura, T. Nakanaga, M. Tachiya, Coherent control of photofragment separation in the dissociative ionization of IBr. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 113002 (2004)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. H. Ohmura, T. Nakanaga, Quantum control of molecular orientation by two-color laser fields. J. Chem. Phys. 120, 5176 (2004)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. H. Ohmura, N. Saito, M. Tachiya, Selective ionization of oriented nonpolar molecules with asymmetric structure by phase-controlled two-color laser fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 173001 (2006)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. H. Ohmura, F. Ito, M. Tachiya, Phase-sensitive molecular ionization induced by a phase-controlled two-color laser field in methyl halides. Phys. Rev. A 74, 043410 (2006)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. H. Ohmura, M. Tachiya, Robust quantum control of molecular tunneling ionization in the space domain by phase-controlled laser fields. Phys. Rev. A 77, 023408 (2008)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. H. Ohmura, N. Saito, H. Nonaka, S. Ichimura, Dissociative ionization of a large molecule studied by intense phase-controlled laser fields. Phys. Rev. A 77, 053405 (2008)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. J. Lavancier, D. Normand, C. Cornaggia, J. Morellec, H.X. Liu, Laser-intensity dependence of the multielectron ionization of CO at 305 nm and 610 nm. Phys. Rev. A 43, 1461 (1991)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. M.J. DeWitt, R.J. Levis, Observing the transition from a multiphoton-dominated to a field-mediated ionization process for polyatomic molecules in intense laser fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5101 (1998)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. H.R. Reiss, Inherent contradictions in the tunneling-multiphoton dichotomy. Phys. Rev. A 75, 031404 (2007)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. T.K. Kjeldsen, C.Z. Bisgaard, L.B. Madsen, H. Stapelfeldt, Role of symmetry in strong-field ionization of molecules. Phys. Rev. A 68, 063407 (2003);

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. T.K. Kjeldsen, C.Z. Bisgaard, L.B. Madsen, H. Stapelfeldt, Influence of molecular symmetry on strong-field ionization: Studies on ethylene, benzene, fluorobenzene, and chlorofluorobenzene. Phys. Rev. A 71, 013418 (2005)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. M.J. Frisch, G.W. Trucks, H.B. Schlegel, G.E. Scuseria, M.A. Robb, J.R. Cheeseman, J.A. Montgomery Jr., T. Vreven, K.N. Kudin, J.C. Burant, J.M. Millam, S.S. Iyengar, J. Tomasi, V. Barone, B. Mennucci, M. Cossi, G. Scalmani, N. Rega, G.A. Petersson, H. Nakatsuji, M. Hada, M. Ehara, K. Toyota, R. Fukuda, J. Hasegawa, M. Ishida, T. Nakajima, Y. Honda, O. Kitao, H. Nakai, M. Klene, X. Li, J.E. Knox, H.P. Hratchian, J.B. Cross, C. Adamo, J. Jaramillo, R. Gomperts, R.E. Stratmann, O. Yazyev, A.J. Austin, R. Cammi, C. Pomelli, J.W. Ochterski, P.Y. Ayala, K. Morokuma, G.A. Voth, P. Salvador, J.J. Dannenberg, V.G. Zakrzewski, S. Dapprich, A.D. Daniels, M.C. Strain, O. Farkas, D.K. Malick, A.D. Rabuck, K. Raghavachari, J.B. Foresman, J.V. Ortiz, Q. Cui, A.G. Baboul, S. Clifford, J. Cioslowski, B.B. Stefanov, G. Liu, A. Liashenko, P. Piskorz, I. Komaromi, R.L. Martin, D.J. Fox, T. Keith, M.A. Al-Laham, C.Y. Peng, A. Nanayakkara, M. Challacombe, P.M.W. Gill, B. Johnson, W. Chen, M.W. Wong, C. Gonzalez, J.A. Pople, Gaussian 03, Revision C.02, (Gaussian, Inc., Wallingford CT, 2004)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author thanks M. Tachiya, T. Nakanaga, F. Ito, N. Saito, H. Nonaka, and S. Ichimura. This work was supported by the Fund for Young Researchers from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT); the Mitsubishi Foundation; the Sumitomo Foundation; the Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO) program from Japan Science and Technology (JST); and a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) and (B) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan

    Hideki Ohmura

Authors
  1. Hideki Ohmura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hideki Ohmura .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Kaoru Yamanouchi

  2. Department of Physics, University of Crete, 2208, 71003, Heraklion, Greece

    Dimitrios Charalambidis

  3. IRAMIS, CEA Saclay, Bât. 524, PC No. 83, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

    Didier Normand

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ohmura, H. (2011). Directionally Asymmetric Tunneling Ionization and Control of Molecular Orientation by Phase-Controlled Laser Fields. In: Yamanouchi, K., Charalambidis, D., Normand, D. (eds) Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science VII. Springer Series in Chemical Physics, vol 100. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18327-0_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18327-0_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-18326-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18327-0

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation