Accurate retrieval of atomic and molecular structure from laser-induced photoelectron and high-order harmonic spectra

Chii-Dong Lin

Kansas State University, Department of Physics, Manhattan, USA

Toru Morishita*, Anh-Thu Le, Z. J. Chen and C. D. Lin

We analyzed thoretical results obtained from solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation of atoms in few-cycle laser pulses, from which we established the general conclusion that differential elastic scattering cross sections and photo-recombination cross sections of the target ion with free electrons can be extracted accurately from laser-generated high-energy photoelectron momentum spectra, and high-order harmonic spectra, respectively. Since both electron scattering and photoionization (the inverse of photo-recombination) are the conventional means for interrogating the structure of atoms and molecules, this result shows that existing few-cycle infrared laser pulses can be implemented for ultrafast imaging of transient molecules with temporal resolution of a few femtoseconds.

*Permanent address: Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofu-go-oka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan

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