arXiv subjects

J. Hofbrucker

Publications and source records attributed to J. Hofbrucker.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Polarization effects in the total rate of biharmonic $ω+ 3ω$ ionization of atoms

The total ionization rate of biharmonic ($ω+ 3ω$) ionization is studied within the independent particle approximation and the third order perturbation theory. Particular attention is paid to how the polarization of the biharmonic light field affects the total rate. The ratios of the biharmonic ionization rates for linearly and circularly polarized beams as well as for corotating and counterrotating elliptically polarized beams are analyzed, and how they depend on the beam parameters, such as photon frequency or phase between $ω$ and $3ω$ light beams. We show that the interference of the biharmonic ionization amplitudes determines the dominance of a particular beam polarization over another and that it can be controlled by an appropriate choice of beam parameters. Furthermore, we demonstrate our findings for the ionization of neon $L$ shell electrons.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

Photoexcitation of atoms by cylindrically polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams

We analyze the photo-excitation of atoms with a single valence electron by cylindrically polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams. Theoretical analysis is performed within the framework of first-order perturbation theory and by expanding the vector potential of the Laguerre-Gaussian beam in terms of its multipole components. For cylindrically polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams, we show that the (magnetic) sub-components of electric-quadrupole field vary significantly in the beam cross-section with beam waist and radial distance from the beam axis. We discuss the influence of varying magnetic multipole component in the beam cross-section on the sub-level population of a localized atomic target. In addition, we calculate the total excitation rate of electric quadrupole transition ($4s \;^{2}S_{1/2} \rightarrow 3d \;^{2}D_{5/2}$) in a mesoscopic target of Ca$^{+}$ ion. These calculations shows that the total rate of excitation is sensitive to the beam waist and the distance between center of the target and the beam axis. However, the excitation by cylindrically polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beam is found more efficient in driving electric quadrupole transition in the mesoscopic atomic target than the circularly polarized beams.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Enhanced polarization transfer to the characteristic $Lα$ x-ray lines near the nonlinear Cooper minimum of two-photon ionization

It has been shown that for nonlinear atomic ionization, transfer of the degree of circular polarization from incident to fluorescence light is maximum at the Cooper minimum (see Phys. Rev. A \textbf{100}, 011401(R) (2019)). Until the present, however, it is still a challenge to produce and detect circularly-polarized light at xuv and x-ray photon energies. We here show, that transfer of linear polarization is strongly enhanced at the Cooper minimum in two-photon ionization and can be readily detected using current free-electron laser facilities by measurements of the degree of linear polarization of the characteristic $Lα_1$ and $Lα_2$ lines. Two-photon ionization of $2p_{3/2}$ electron of tungsten atom is proposed to demonstrate the presented phenomena and realization of such experiment is discussed in detail.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Photoelectron Angular Distributions of Nonresonant Two-Photon Atomic Ionization Near Nonlinear Cooper Minima

Photoelectron angular distributions of the two-photon ionization of neutral atoms are theoretically investigated. Numerical calculations of two-photon ionization cross sections and asymmetry parameters are carried out within the independent-particle approximation and relativistic second-order perturbation theory. The dependence of the asymmetry parameters on the polarization and energy of the incident light as well as on the angular momentum properties of the ionized electron are investigated. While dynamic variations of the angular distributions at photon energies near intermediate level resonances are expected, we demonstrate that equally strong variations occur near the nonlinear Cooper minimum. The described phenomena is demonstrated on the example of two-photon ionization of magnesium atom.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Breakdown of the electric dipole approximation at Cooper minima in direct two-photon ionisation

We predict breakdown of the electric dipole approximation at nonlinear Cooper minimum in direct two-photon $K-$shell atomic ionisation by circularly polarised light. According to predictions based on the electric dipole approximation, we expect that tuning the incident photon energy to the Cooper minimum in two-photon ionisation results in pure depletion of one spin projection of the initially bound $1s$ electrons, and hence, leaves the ionised atom in a fully oriented state. We show that by inclusion of electric quadrupole interaction, dramatic drop of orientation purity is obtained. The low degree of the remaining ion orientation provides a direct access to contributions of the electron-photon interaction beyond the electric dipole approximation in the two-photon ionisation of atoms and molecules. The orientation of the photoions can be experimentally detected either directly by a Stern-Gerlach analyzer, or by means of subsequent $Kα$ fluorescence emission, which has the information about the ion orientation imprinted in the polarisation of the emitted photons.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Fluorescence polarization as a precise tool for understanding nonsequential many-photon ionization

Nonsequential two-photon ionization of inner-shell $np$ subshell of neutral atoms by circularly polarized light is investigated. Detection of subsequent fluorescence as a signature of the process is proposed and the dependence of fluorescence degree of polarization on incident photon beam energy is studied. It is generally expected that the degree of polarization remains approximately constant, except when the beam energy is tuned to an intermediate $n's$ resonance. However, strong unexpected change in the polarization degree is discovered for nonsequential two-photon ionization at specific incident beam energy due to a zero contribution of the otherwise dominant ionization channel. Polarization degree of the fluorescence depends less on the beam parameters and its measurements at this specific beam energy, whose position is very sensitive to the details of the employed theory, are highly desirable for evaluation of theoretical calculations of nonlinear ionization at hitherto unreachable accuracy.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Maximum Elliptical Dichroism in Atomic Two-Photon Ionization

Elliptical dichroism is known in atomic photoionization as the difference in the photoelectron angular distributions produced in nonlinear ionization of atoms by left- and right-handed elliptically polarized light. We theoretically demonstrate that the maximum dichroism |Δ_{ED}|=1 always appears in two-photon ionization of any atom if the photon energy is tuned in so that the electron emission is dominantly determined by two intermediate resonances. We propose the two-photon ionization of atomic helium in order to demonstrate this remarkable phenomenon. The maximum elliptical dichroism could be used as a sensitive tool for analyzing the polarization state of photon beams produced by free-electron lasers.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

Photoelectron distribution of non-resonant two-photon ionization of neutral atoms

Photoelectron angular distributions following the non-resonant two-photon K-shell ionization of neutral atoms are studied theoretically. Using the independent particle approximation and relativistic second-order perturbation theory, the contributions of screening and relativistic effects to the photoelectron angular distribution are evaluated. A simple nonrelativistic expression is presented for the angle-differential cross section in dipole approximation for two-photon ionization by elliptically polarized photons, and its limitations are analyzed numerically. Moreover, we show that screening effects of the inactive electrons can significantly affect the photoelectron distributions and can also lead to a strong elliptical dichroism. Numerical results are resented for the case of two-photon K-shell ionization of neutral Ne, Ge, Xe, and U atoms.

physics.atom-ph↗