Nonadiabatic Electron Dynamics in Orthogonal Two-Color Laser Fields with Comparable Intensities

Phys Rev Lett. 2015 Nov 6;115(19):193001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.193001. Epub 2015 Nov 4.

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the nonadiabatic subcycle electron dynamics in orthogonally polarized two-color laser fields with comparable intensities. The photoelectron dynamics is simulated by exact solution to the 3D time-dependent Schrödinger equation, and also by two other semiclassical methods, i.e., the quantum trajectory Monte Carlo simulation and the Coulomb-corrected strong field approximation. Through these methods, we identify the underlying mechanisms of the subcycle electron dynamics and find that both the nonadiabatic effects and the Coulomb potential play very important roles. The contribution of the nonadiabatic effects manifest in two aspects, i.e., the nonadiabatic ionization rate and the nonzero initial velocities at the tunneling exit. The Coulomb potential has a different impact on the electrons' trajectories for different relative phases between the two pulses.