High-energy electron-energy spectra of atoms undergoing tunneling and barrier-suppression ionization by superintense linearly polarized laser radiation

摘要

The high-energy electron-energy spectra of atoms and atomic ions undergoing direct tunneling or barrier-suppression ionization by superintense linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse are derived. The Landau-Dykhne adiabatic approximation is used. The new result is the simple analytic expression for the electron momentum spectrum along the polarization axis and along the other directions in the case of the relativistic quiver electron energies. The contribution from the direct tunneling ionization exceeds the contribution from the ionization occurring in the. rescattering processes. The energy spectrum is independent of the laser frequency and of the nonrelativistic ionization potential of the atom (atomic ion) considered. The conclusions have been made that (1) the drift electron energy along the polarization axis is much greater than in other directions, (2) the energy distribution depends on the sign of the electron drift momentum along the propagation of laser radiation, and (3) the electron drift energy is the nonrelativistic quantity even when the quiver electron energy has high ultrarelativistic values.