Influence of molecular chirality on tunnel-ionization dynamics
Yann Mairesse
CNRS - CELIA Bordeaux, France
[email protected]
Photoelectron circualr dichroism, which occurs when chiral molecules are ionized by circularly polarized light, is one of the most sensitive chiroptical phenonmena. In the strong field regime, the ionization process can be decomposed in two steps. An electron wavepacket tunnels through the potential barrier lowered by the laser field, before being accelerated. The chiroptical response is conventionally seen as being imprinted during this second step, through scattering off the chiral ionic potential. Could the first step also imprint a chirosensitive response? We introduce two complementary approaches, the chiral attoclock and sub-cycle gated photoelectron interferometry, which enable us to disentangle the two steps in strong-field ionization. They show that tunnel-ionization from chiral molecules in a rotating laser field is a chirosensitive process.
CNRS - CELIA Bordeaux, France
[email protected]
Photoelectron circualr dichroism, which occurs when chiral molecules are ionized by circularly polarized light, is one of the most sensitive chiroptical phenonmena. In the strong field regime, the ionization process can be decomposed in two steps. An electron wavepacket tunnels through the potential barrier lowered by the laser field, before being accelerated. The chiroptical response is conventionally seen as being imprinted during this second step, through scattering off the chiral ionic potential. Could the first step also imprint a chirosensitive response? We introduce two complementary approaches, the chiral attoclock and sub-cycle gated photoelectron interferometry, which enable us to disentangle the two steps in strong-field ionization. They show that tunnel-ionization from chiral molecules in a rotating laser field is a chirosensitive process.
