CLASSICAL-ANALYSIS OF DIATOMIC DISSOCIATION DYNAMICS IN INTENSE LASER FIELDS

The dissociation of a diatomic ion in an intense laser field is studied using a one-dimensional model with a Morse function representing the nuclear interaction potential, and coupling to a linear dipole moment representing the interaction with the laser field. A perturbative treatment is generally not possible because the field strengths employed are large enough to significantly distort the potential surface. Instead, classical trajectories are used to investigate some qualitative features of the dissociation process, with the goal of introducing some simple models to explain these features. A modified barrier suppression model is proposed which predicts the field strength at which trajectories first start to dissociate, and a "wagging tail" model is proposed which predicts the maximum kinetic energy of the dissociation products. Both these models provide physical insight into the dissociation process, and can be used to qualitatively understand experimental results. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.