Emergence of Classical Orbits in Few-Cycle Above-Threshold Ionization

Abstract

The time-dependent Schrödinger equation for atomic hydrogen in few-cycle laser pulses is solved numerically. Introducing a positive definite quantum distribution function in energy-position space, a straightforward comparison of the numerical ab initio results with classical orbit theory is facilitated. Integration over position space yields directly the photoelectron spectra so that the various pathways contributing to a certain energy in the photoelectron spectra can be established in an unprecedented direct and transparent way.

4 pages, 4 figures REVTeX (manuscript with higher resolution figures available at http://www.dieterbauer.de/publist.html)