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arXiv · 1711.03935

The role of spin and angular momentum in strong-field ionization

D. Trabert·A. Hartung·S. Eckart·F. Trinter·A. Kalinin·M. Schöffler·L. Ph. H. Schmidt·T. Jahnke·M. Kunitski·R. Dörner
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Abstract

The spin polarization of electrons from multiphoton ionization of Xe by 395 nm circularly polarized laser pulses at $6\cdot10^{13}$ W/cm$^2$ has been measured. At this photon energy of 3.14 eV the above threshold ionization peaks connected to Xe$^+$ ions in the ground state ($J=3/2$, ionization potential $I_p=12.1$ eV) and the first exicted state ($J=1/2$, $I_p=13.4$ eV) are clearly separated in the electron energy distribution. These two combs of ATI peaks show opposite spin polarizations. The magnitude of the spin polarization is a factor of two higher for the $J=1/2$ than for the $J=3/2$ final ionic state. In turn the data show that the ionization probability is strongly dependent on the sign of the magnetic quantum number.

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D. Trabert, A. Hartung, S. Eckart, F. Trinter, A. Kalinin, M. Schöffler, L. Ph. H. Schmidt, T. Jahnke, M. Kunitski, R. Dörner. 2017-11-10. The role of spin and angular momentum in strong-field ionization. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.120.043202

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