arXiv subjects

A. S. Kheifets

Publications and source records attributed to A. S. Kheifets.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Crossover between the zeptosecond and attosecond physics

Nuclear orbiting resonances have been revealed at the sub-barrier energies as an atomic phenomenon by means of x-ray spectroscopy experiments. This interpretation is supported by several phenomenological models and theoretical estimates of the nuclear orbiting timescale and cross-section, inelastic scattering cross section including both nuclear and Coulomb excitation, and the Wigner-Smith time delay. We demonstrate that a multi-photon exchange during nuclear orbiting is responsible for an atomic excitation. Furthermore, proximity of the projectile and target nucleus during the nuclear orbiting modifies the effective charge of the projectile. Even though this orbiting induced excitation is triggered in zeptoseconds, it can still be observed in the attosecond time scale because of the Wigner-Smith time delay inherent to autoionization. Thus, we demonstrate the crossover between the zeptosecond and attosecond time scales which are native to nuclear and atomic physics, respectively. Markedly, this crossover may be the reason for x-ray production from ultra short nuclear processes ($\leq 10^{-21}$ sec). This explanation is likely to resolve the fission time scale anomaly and can stimulate cross-disciplinary research ranging from solid state to high-energy physics.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

Zeptosecond to attosecond dynamics in atoms and possibility of generating a zeptosecond light source

In nuclear collisions, nuclear bremsstrahlung can cause nuclear Coulomb excitation via photon exchange in the projectile as well as the target nuclei. Such a process originating in nuclear timescales (zeptoseconds) can also influence the atomic phenomenon, which can be observed if it is delayed at least by a few attoseconds as atomic timescales $\ge$ an attosecond. We have found that this may happen due to a mechanism called the Eisenbud-Wigner-Smith (EWS)time delay process. We have estimated EWS time delays in atomic collisions utilizing the non-relativistic version of random phase approximation with exchange as well as Hartree-Fock methods. We present three representative collision systems through which one can experimentally observe the phenomena in attosecond timescales even though they originate from nuclear bremsstrahlung radiation occurring in zeptoseconds. Thus the present work represents an investigation of parallels between two neighboring areas of physics: atomic and nuclear physics. Furthermore the present work suggests the possibilities for atomic physics research near the Coulomb barrier energies, where the nuclear bremsstrahlung can be used as a zeptosecond x-ray source.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

Double-$K$-hole resonances in single photoionization of He-like B$^{3+}$ ions

Within a joint experimental and theoretical research project, single photoionization of He-like B$^{3+}$ ions was investigated in the energy range from approximately 250 to 1200~eV. With the parent-ion beam in the experiment containing both $1s^2~^1S$ ground-state and $1s2s~^3S$ metastable B$^{3+}$ ions, double-core-hole resonances could be studied. Two series of hollow resonant states were observed, one populated by $K$-shell double excitation $1s^2~^1S \to 2\ell n\ell'~^1P$ ($\ell=s,p$; $\ell'=p,s$; $n=2,3,..,6$) at photon energies up to about 510~eV, the other by $K$-shell single excitation $1s2s~^3S \to 2\ell n\ell'~^3P$ ($\ell=s,p$; $\ell'=p,s$; $n=2,3,..,6$) at energies up to about 310~eV. High resolving powers up to approximately 29000 were achieved. The relativistic many-body perturbation theory was employed to determine level-to-level cross sections for $K$-shell excitation with subsequent autoionization. The resonance energies were calculated with inclusion of electron correlation and radiative contributions. The energy uncertainties of the most prominent resonances are estimated to be below $\pm 1$ meV. Convergent close coupling (CCC) calculations provided single-photoionization cross sections $σ_{34}$ for B$^{3+}$ including the resonant and non-resonant channels. Apart from the resonances, $σ_{34}$ is dominated by direct ionization in the investigated energy range. The contribution $σ_{34}^{\mathrm{dir}}$ of the latter process to $σ_{34}$ was separately determined by using the random-phase approximation with exchange and relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations which agree very well with previous calculations. Direct ionization of one electron accompanied by excitation of the remaining electron was treated by the CCC theory and found to be a minor contribution to $σ_{34}$.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

Tracking quantum clouds expansion in tunneling ionization

We study formation and evolution of the electron wave-packets in the process of strong field ionization of various atomic targets. Our study is based on reformulating the problem in terms of conditional amplitudes, i.e., the amplitudes describing outcomes of measurements of different observables provided that the electron is found in the ionized state after the end of the pulse. By choosing the electron coordinate as such an observable, we were able to define unambiguously the notion of the ionized wave-packets and to study their formation and spread. We show that the evolution of the ionized wave packets obtained in this way follows closely the classical trajectories at the initial stages of evolution providing an {\it ab initio} quantum-mechanical confirmation of the basic premises of the Classical Monte Carlo Calculations approach. At the later stages of evolution the picture becomes more complicated due to the wave packets' spread and due to interference of wave packets originating from different field maxima. Our approach also allowed us to obtain information about the coordinate and velocity electron distributions at the tunnel exit.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2021

Zeptosecond dynamics in atoms: fact or fiction?

Photon exchange due to nuclear bremsstrahlung during nuclear collisions can cause Coulomb excitation in the projectile and the target nuclei. The corresponding process originated in nuclear timescales can also be observed in atomic phenomenon experimentally if it delayed by at least with an attosecond or longer timescales. We have found that this happens due to a mechanism involving the Eisenbud-Wigner-Smith time delay process. We have estimated photoionization time delays in atomic collisions utilizing the nonrelativistic version of random phase approximation with exchange and Hartree-Fock methods. We present three representative processes in which we can observe the phenomena in attosecond timescales even though they originate from excitations in the zeptosecond timescales. Thus the work represents an investigation of parallels between two neighboring areas of physics. Furthermore the present work suggests new possibilities for atomic physics research near the Coulomb barrier energy, where the laser is replaced by nuclear bremsstrahlung.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Revealing the Two-Electron Cusp in the Ground States of He and H2 via Quasifree Double Photoionization

We report on kinematically complete measurements and ab initio non-perturbative calculations of double ionization of He and H2 by a single 800 eV circularly polarized photon. We confirm the quasifree mechanism of photoionization for H2 and show how it originates from the two-electron cusp in the ground state of a two-electron target. Our approach establishes a new method for mapping electrons relative to each other and provides valuable insight into photoionization beyond the electric-dipole approximation.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Separating Dipole and Quadrupole Contributions to Single-Photon Double Ionization

We report on a kinematically complete measurement of double ionization of helium by a single 1100 eV circularly polarized photon. By exploiting dipole selection rules in the two-electron continuum state, we observed the angular emission pattern of electrons originating from a pure quadrupole transition. Our fully differential experimental data and companion ab initio nonperturbative theory show the separation of dipole and quadrupole contributions to photo-double-ionization and provide new insight into the nature of the quasifree mechanism.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Imaging the square of the correlated two-electron wave function of a hydrogen molecule

The toolbox for imaging molecules is well-equipped today. Some techniques visualize the geometrical structure, others the electron density or electron orbitals. Molecules are many-body systems for which the correlation between the constituents is decisive and the spatial and the momentum distribution of one electron depends on those of the other electrons and the nuclei. Such correlations have escaped direct observation by imaging techniques so far. Here, we implement an imaging scheme which visualizes correlations between electrons by coincident detection of the reaction fragments after high energy photofragmentation. With this technique, we examine the H2 two-electron wave function in which electron-electron correlation beyond the mean-field level is prominent. We visualize the dependence of the wave function on the internuclear distance. High energy photoelectrons are shown to be a powerful tool for molecular imaging. Our study paves the way for future time resolved correlation imaging at FELs and laser based X-ray sources.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

Time delay in XUV/IR photoionization of H$_2$O

We solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation describing a water molecule driven by a superposition of the XUV and IR pulses typical for a RABBITT experiment. This solution is obtained by a combination of the time-dependent coordinate scaling and the density functional theory with self-interaction correction. Results of this solution are used to determine the time delay in photoionization of the water and hydrogen molecules.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

Observation and Control of Laser-Enabled Auger Decay

Single photon laser enabled Auger decay (spLEAD) has been redicted theoretically [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 083004 (2013)] and here we report its first experimental observation in neon. Using coherent, bichromatic free-electron laser pulses, we have detected the process and coherently controlled the angular distribution of the emitted electrons by varying the phase difference between the two laser fields. Since spLEAD is highly sensitive to electron correlation, this is a promising method for probing both correlation and ultrafast hole migration in more complex systems.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Relativistic calculations of angular dependent photoemission time delay

Angular dependence of photoemission time delay for the valence $np_{3/2}$ and $np_{1/2}$ subshells of Ar, Kr and Xe is studied in the dipole relativistic random phase approximation. Strong angular anisotropy of the time delay is reproduced near respective Cooper minima while the spin-orbit splitting affects the time delay near threshold.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Angular anisotropy of time delay in XUV/IR photoionization of H$_2^+$

We develop a novel technique for modeling of atomic and molecular ionization in superposition of XUV and IR fields with characteristics typical for attosecond streaking and RABBITT experiments. The method is based on solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in the coordinate frame expanding along with the photoelectron wave packet. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by calculating angular anisotropy of photoemission time delay of the H$_2^+$ ion in a field configuration of recent RABBITT experiments.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

The interaction of excited atoms and few-cycle laser pulses

This work describes the first observations of the ionisation of neon in a metastable atomic state utilising a strong-field, few-cycle light pulse. We compare the observations to theoretical predictions based on the Ammosov-Delone-Krainov (ADK) theory and a solution to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE). The TDSE provides better agreement with the experimental data than the ADK theory. We optically pump the target atomic species and demonstrate that the ionisation rate depends on the spin state of the target atoms and provide physically transparent interpretation of such a spin dependence in the frameworks of the spin-polarised Hartree-Fock and random-phase approximations.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Measuring laser carrier-envelope phase effects in the noble gases with an atomic hydrogen calibration standard

We present accurate measurements of carrier-envelope phase effects on ionisation of the noble gases with few-cycle laser pulses. The experimental apparatus is calibrated by using atomic hydrogen data to remove any systematic offsets and thereby obtain accurate CEP data on other generally used noble gases such as Ar, Kr and Xe. Experimental results for H are well supported by exact TDSE theoretical simulations however significant differences are observed in case of noble gases.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Transverse electron momentum distribution in tunneling and over the barrier ionization by laser pulses with varying ellipticity

We study transverse electron momentum distribution (TEMD) in strong field atomic ionization driven by laser pulses with varying ellipticity. We show, both experimentally and theoretically, that the TEMD in the tunneling and over the barrier ionization regimes evolves in a qualitatively different way when the ellipticity parameter describing polarization state of the driving laser pulse increases.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Attosecond time delay in the photoionization of Mn in the region of the $3p \rightarrow 3d$ giant resonance

The initial insight into time delay in Mn photoionization in the region of the $3p \to 3d$ giant autoionization resonance is gained in the framework of the "spin-polarized" random phase approximation with exchange. The dramatic effect of the giant autoionization resonance on time delay of photoemission from the $3d$ and $4s$ valence subshells of the Mn atom is unraveled. Strong sensitivity of the time delay of the $4s$ photoemission to the final-state term of the ion-remainder [${\rm Mn^{+}}(4s^{1},$$^{5}S)$ vs.~${\rm Mn^{+}}(4s^{1},$$^{7}S)$] is discovered. It is shown that photoionization time delay in the autoionizing resonance region is explicitly associated with the resonance lifetime, which can, thus, be directly measured in attosecond time delay experiments. Similar features are expected to emerge in photoionization time delays of other transition-metal and rare-earth atoms with half-filed subshells that possess giant autoionization resonances as well.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Time-dependent calculations of transfer ionization by fast proton-helium collision in one-dimensional kinematics

We analyze a transfer ionization (TI) reaction in the fast proton-helium collision $\rm H^+ + He \to H^0 + He^{2+} + e^-$ by solving a time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) under the classical projectile motion approximation in one-dimensional kinematics. In addition, we construct various time independent analogues of our model using lowest order perturbation theory in the form of the Born series. By comparing various aspects of the TDSE and the Born series calculations, we conclude that the recent discrepancies of experimental and theoretical data may be attributed to deficiency of the Born models used by other authors. We demonstrate that the correct Born series for TI should include the momentum space overlap between the double ionization amplitude and the wave function of the transferred electron.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

The p-H symmetry breaking in dissociative ionization of H2 due to the molecular ion interaction with the ejected electron

We propose a novel mechanism of electron localization and molecular symmetry breaking in dissociative photoionization of the H$_2$ molecule. The Coulomb field of the ejected electron can induce transition of the remaining H$_2^+$ ion from the gerade $^2Σ_g^1(1sσ_g)$ to the ungerade $^2Σ_u^1(2pσ_u)$ electronic state when the nuclei in a bound vibrational state are near the outer turning point. The superposition of this process with a direct transition to vibrational continuum should produce a non-gerade ionic state which results in observed asymmetry in the $p$-H ejection relative to the electron ejection direction at a small kinetic energy release.

physics.atom-ph↗