arXiv subjects

Zhenjie Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Zhenjie Shen.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Observation of Strong Electron Correlation in Planetary Atomic Structure

Unravelling two-electron correlation is a long-standing challenge at the heart of few-body quantum physics, underlying correlated phenomena across atomic, molecular and condensed-matter science. In prototypical three-body Coulomb systems, such strong correlation in doubly excited states (DESs) of planetary atomic systems leaves distinct signatures in nonsequential above-threshold double ionization (NS-ATDI) driven by coherent laser fields, yet such targeted study has long remained elusive. Here we present kinematically complete measurements of multi-photon double ionization in cold strontium atoms. Our results reveal a dominant NS-ATDI channel exhibiting well-defined band structures that encode pronounced energy and angular correlations between the two emitted electrons. Autoionization spectra confirm the presence of DESs as transition states that effectively promote the NS-ATDI process. These observations provide direct evidence that both electrons are synchronously excited and ionized via resonant high-lying DES transitions, meaning the structure-linked two-electron correlation of DES is preserved and propagated in the laser-driven time-dependent three-body system. Our work transcends the traditional paradigm of multi-photon double ionization, and fundamentally reshapes the core understanding of intrinsic electron correlation governing many-body systems in nature.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

Multiple charge transfer driven complex reaction dynamics: covalent bonding meets van der Waals interactions

Ultrafast charge transfer (CT) processes redistribute electronic charge within and between molecular units and play a central role in many physical, chemical, and biological phenomena. However, the microscopic pathways of multiple CT events, including the coupled structural evolution and energy redistribution, are challenging to disentangle experimentally in complex systems. To obtain controlled insight into such dynamics, well-defined properties are required. Here, we investigate the N2Ar dimer, which combines a covalent bond with a weak van der Waals interaction, using site-selective synchrotron photoionization and coincident detection of electrons and ions. Combined with ab initio calculations, this approach enables step-by-step tracking of ultrafast CT and fragmentation dynamics. We find that the dimer's structural evolution triggers a second CT event, opening complex reaction pathways in which electrons are transferred back and forth between Ar and N2, through two nonadiabatic transitions involving conical intersections. These results demonstrate that sequential multiple CT-induced transitions, even in a simple dimer, provide controlled insight into nonadiabatic reaction mechanisms relevant to complex systems.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2023

Magneto-optical trap reaction microscope for photoionization of cold strontium atoms

We developed a magneto-optical trap reaction microscope (MOTREMI) for strontium atoms by combining the multi-particle coincident detection with laser cooling technique. Present compact injection system can provide cold Sr atoms in three modes of 2D MOT, molasses and 3D MOT, delivering targets with adjustable densities and ratios of the ground state $5s^2$ ($^1S_{0}$) and the excited states $5s5p$ ($^{1}P_{1}$ and $^{3}P_{J}$ etc). The target profiles for the temperature, the density and the size of 3D MOT as well as cold atomic flux in 2D MOT model were characterized in details. With present state-of-the-art setup, we demonstrated the single photoionization of Sr atoms with molasses by absorption of few 800-nm photons, where Sr$^+$ and $e$ were detected in coincidence and most of ionization channels were identified taking into account photoelectron energy, laser-intensity dependence, and target dependence. The best momentum resolution of coincident Sr$^+$ and $e$ along time-of-flight are achieved up to 0.12 a.u. and 0.02 a.u., respectively. Present photoelectron momentum distributions ionized from the ground state and a few excited states illuminate unprecedentedly rich landscapes manifesting prominent features for multi-photon absorption. The full vector momenta of electrons and recoil ion in coincidence paves the way to further studying two-electron correlation dynamics and multi-electron effects in the multiple ionization of alkaline-earth atoms in the ultraviolet region.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

Few-photon single ionization of cold rubidium in the over-the-barrier regime

Photoionization of the rubidium (Rb) atoms cooled in a magneto-optical trap, characterized by the coexistence of the ground 5$S_{1/2}$ and the excited 5$P_{3/2}$ states, is investigated experimentally and theoretically with the 400 nm femtosecond laser pulses at intensities of $I=3\times10^9$ W/cm$^2$ - $4.5\times10^{12}$ W/cm$^2$. Recoil-ion momentum distribution (RIMD) of Rb$^+$ exhibits rich ring-like structures and their energies correspond to one-photon ionization of the 5$P_{3/2}$ state, two-photon and three-photon ionizations of the 5$S_{1/2}$ state, respectively. With the increasing of $I$, we find that experimental signals near zero-momentum (NZM) in RIMDs resulted from the 5$P_{3/2}$ state enhance dramatically and its peaked Rb$^+$ momenta dwindle obviously while that from the 5$S_{1/2}$ state is maintained. Meanwhile, the ion-yield ratio of the 5$S_{1/2}$ over the 5$P_{3/2}$ states varies from $I$ to $I^{1.5}$ as $I$ increases. These features indicate a transition from perturbative ionization to strong-perturbative ionization for the 5$P_{3/2}$ state. Numerical simulations by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) can qualitatively explain the measurements of RIMD, photoion angular distributions, as well as ion-yield ratio. However, some discrepancies still exist, especially for the NZM dip, which could stem from the electron-electron correlation that is neglected in the present TDSE simulations since we have adopted the single-active-electron approximation.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Ellipticity-dependent sequential over-barrier ionization of cold rubidium

We perform high-resolution measurements of momentum distribution on Rb$^{n+}$ recoil ions up to charge state $n=4$, where laser-cooled rubidium atoms are ionized by femtosecond elliptically polarized lasers with the pulse duration of 35 fs and the intensity of 3.3$\times$10$^{15}$ W/cm$^2$ in the over-barrier ionization (OBI) regime. The momentum distributions of the recoil ions are found to exhibit multi-band structures as the ellipticity varies from the linear to circular polarizations. The origin of these band structures can be explained quantitatively by the classical OBI model and dedicated classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations with Heisenberg potential. Specifically, with back analysis of the classical trajectories, we reveal the ionization time and the OBI geometry of the sequentially released electrons, disentangling the mechanisms behind the tilted angle of the band structures. These results indicate that the classical treatment can describe the strong-field multiple ionization processes of alkali atoms.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Momentum spectroscopy for multiple ionization of cold rubidium in the elliptically polarized laser field

Employing recent developed magneto-optical trap recoil ion momentum spectroscopy (MOTRIMS) combining cold atom, strong laser pulse, and ultrafast technologies, we study momentum distributions of the multiply ionized cold rubidium (Rb) induced by the elliptically polarized laser pulses (35 fs, $1.3 \times 10^{15}$ W/cm$^2$). The complete vector momenta of Rbn+ ions up to charge state n = 4 are recorded with extremely high resolution (0.12 a.u. for Rb$^+$). Variations of characteristic multi-bands displayed in momentum distributions, as the ellipticity varies from the linear to circular polarization, are interpreted qualitatively with the classical over-barrier ionization model. Present momentum spectroscopy of cold heavy alkali atoms presents novel strong-field phenomena beyond the noble gases.

physics.atom-ph↗