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Sub-barrier recollisions and the three classes of tunneling time delays in strong-field ionization

Michael Klaiber*, Daniel Bakucz Canário, and Karen Z. Hatsagortsyan†

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

  • *klaiber@mpi-hd.mpg.de
  • †k.hatsagortsyan@mpi-hd.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. A 107, 053103 – Published 8 May, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.107.053103

Abstract

Tunneling ionization is characterized by a negative time delay, observed asymptotically as a specific shift of the photoelectron momentum distribution, which is caused by the interference of the sub-barrier recolliding and direct ionization paths. In contrast, a Gedankenexperiment following the peak of the wave function shows a positive tunneling time delay at the tunnel exit, considering only the direct ionization path. In this paper we investigate the effects of sub-barrier recollisions on the time delay pattern at the tunnel exit. We conclude that the interference of the direct and recolliding trajectories decreases the tunneling time delay at the exit by the value equal to the asymptotic time delay, maintaining, however, its sizable positive value. Finally, we discuss the recent experiment [Yu et al., Light Sci. Appl. 11, 215 (2022)] addressing the tunneling time in a modified two-color attoclock setup. The analysis of the experimental findings with our theoretical model indicates the physical necessity to introduce an additional time characteristic for tunneling ionization—the time delay describing the initiation of the tunneling wave packet.

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Phys. Rev. A 107, 053103– Published 8 May, 2023
  • Received 23 August 2022
  • Revised 14 March 2023
  • Accepted 19 April 2023
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