Numerical Detector Theory for the Longitudinal Momentum Distribution of the Electron in Strong Field Ionization

Phys Rev Lett. 2017 May 26;118(21):213201. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.213201. Epub 2017 May 26.

Abstract

The lack of analytical solutions for the exit momentum in the laser-driven tunneling theory is a well-recognized problem in strong field physics. Theoretical studies of electron momentum distributions in the neighborhood of the tunneling exit depend heavily on ad hoc assumptions. In this Letter, we apply a new numerical method to study the exiting electron's longitudinal momentum distribution under intense short-pulse laser excitation. We present the first realizations of the dynamic behavior of an electron near the so-called tunneling exit region without adopting a tunneling approximation.