How Key Periodic Orbits Drive Recollisions in a Circularly Polarized Laser Field

A. Kamor, F. Mauger, C. Chandre, and T. Uzer

Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 253002 – Published 18 June 2013

Abstract

We show that a family of key periodic orbits drives the recollision process in a strong circularly polarized laser field. These orbits, coined recolliding periodic orbits, exist for a wide range of parameters, and their relative influence changes as the laser and atomic parameters are varied. We find the necessary conditions for recollision-driven nonsequential double ionization to occur. The outlined mechanism is universal in that it applies equally well beyond atoms: The internal structure of the target species plays a minor role in the recollision process.

Received 6 March 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.253002

Authors & Affiliations

A. Kamor^1,2, F. Mauger², C. Chandre², and T. Uzer¹

¹School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0430, USA
²Centre de Physique Théorique-UMR 7332, CNRS-Aix-Marseille University, Campus de Luminy, Case 907, 13009 Marseille, France