Visualizing and Steering Dissociative Frustrated Double Ionization of Hydrogen Molecules.

We experimentally visualize the dissociative frustrated double ionization of hydrogen molecules by using few-cycle laser pulses in a pump-probe scheme, in which process the tunneling ionized electron is recaptured by one of the outgoing nuclei of the breaking molecule. Three internuclear distances are recognized to enhance the dissociative frustrated double ionization of molecules at different instants after the first ionization step. The recapture of the electron can be further steered to one of the outgoing nuclei as desired by using phase-controlled two-color laser pulses. Both the experimental measurements and numerical simulations suggest that the Rydberg atom is favored to emit to the direction of the maximum of the asymmetric optical field. Our results on the one hand intuitively visualize the dissociative frustrated double ionization of molecules, and on the other hand open the possibility to selectively excite the heavy fragment ejected from a molecule.

Comparison Study of Strong-Field Ionization of Molecules and Atoms by Bicircular Two-Color Femtosecond Laser Pulses.

We experimentally investigate the single and double ionization of N_{2} and O_{2} molecules in bicircular two-color femtosecond laser pulses, and compare with their companion atoms of Ar and Xe with comparable ionization thresholds. Electron recollision assisted enhanced ionization is observed in N_{2} and Ar by controlling the helicity and field ratio between the two colors, whereas the enhanced ionization via the recollision is almost absent in O_{2} and Xe. Our S-matrix simulations clearly reveal the crucial role of the detailed electronic structures of N_{2} and O_{2} on the two-dimensional recollision of the electrons driven by the bicircular two-color laser fields. As compared to Ar, the resonant multiphoton excitation dominates the double ionization of Xe.