Robust Carrier-Envelope Phase Retrieval of Few-Cycle Laser Pulses from High-Energy Photoelectron Spectra in the Above-Threshold Ionization of Atoms

Abstract

The two-dimensional momentum distributions of high-energy photoelectrons generated in the above-threshold ionization of atoms by intense laser pulses are analysed as resulting from the elastic backscattering of laser-induced returning electrons. Using this quantitative rescattering theory, we show that the returning electron wave packets are entirely determined by the properties of the laser pulses, including the absolute value of the carrier-envelope phase (CEP). We then present a robust method to precisely retrieve the absolute phase of few-cycle pulses by analysing separately the CEP dependence of the electron spectra emitted on the left and on the right directions along the laser polarization axis. In addition, our approach offers the possibility of measuring the laser peak intensity and pulse duration with an estimated error of a few per cent.

Department(s)

Physics

Keywords and Phrases

Atomic Spectroscopy; Atoms; Electrons; Laser Pulses; Laser Theory; Ontology; Photoelectron Spectroscopy; Photoionization; Photons, Above-Threshold Ionizations; Absolute Phase; Absolute Values; Carrier-Envelope Phase; Elastic Backscatterings; Electron Spectrum; Electron Wave Packets; Estimated Errors; Few-Cycle Laser Pulse; Few-Cycle Pulse; High-Energy Photoelectrons; Intense Laser Pulse; Laser Polarizations; Laser-Induced; Momentum Distributions; Peak Intensities; Pulse Durations; Rescattering; Robust Methods; Two-Dimensional, Pulsed Laser Applications

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0953-4075

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd., All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Mar 2009

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