State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Jun 1;108(22):223001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.223001. Epub 2012 May 29.
Diatomic molecules (e.g., O(2)) in an intense laser field exhibit a peculiar suppressed ionization behavior compared to their companion atoms. Several physical models have been proposed to account for this suppression, while no consensus has been achieved. In this Letter, we aim to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind this molecular ionization suppression. Experimental data recorded at midinfrared laser wavelength and its comparison with that at near-infrared wavelength revealed a peculiar wavelength and intensity dependence of the suppressed ionization of O(2) with respect to its companion atom of Xe, while N(2) behaves like a structureless atom. It is found that the S-matrix theory calculation can reproduce well the experimental observations and unambiguously identifies the significant role of two-center interference effect in the ionization suppression of O(2).
双原子分子（例如 O(2)）在强激光场中表现出一种奇特的抑制电离行为，与它们的伴生原子相比。已经提出了几种物理模型来解释这种抑制，但尚未达成共识。在这封信中，我们旨在阐明分子电离抑制背后的潜在机制。在中红外激光波长下记录的实验数据及其与近红外波长下的比较显示，O(2)相对于其伴生原子 Xe 的抑制电离具有特殊的波长和强度依赖性，而 N(2)则表现为无结构的原子。研究发现，S-矩阵理论计算可以很好地重现实验观测结果，并明确确定了双中心干涉效应对 O(2)电离抑制的重要作用。
