MULTICOLOR PHOTOIONIZATION AND CLASSICAL DYNAMICS

We use classical-ensemble dynamics to study multicolor, laser-field-induced, atomic photoionization from the ground state. It is shown that multicolor laser excitation can enhance ionization, a trend that is shown to persist for two distinct one-dimensional potentials. Maximum Lyapunov exponents and corresponding power spectra for bound orbits are used to illustrate that although chaotic temporal evolution may be manifest in predissociation dynamics, it is not a sufficient condition for dissociation. Correlation is obtained between the magnitude of the maximum Lyapunov exponent and the tendency to ionization among neighboring trajectories.