Eur. Phys. J. D (2013) 67: 61
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2013-30702-9

Regular Article

Molecular above-threshold ionization with a circularly polarized laser field

¹ Medical Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Čekaluša 90, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
² Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 35, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
³ Max-Born-Institut, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
⁴ Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bistrik 7, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

^a e-mail: milo@bih.net.ba

Received: 21 November 2012
Received in final form: 24 January 2013
Published online: 21 March 2013

Abstract

Molecular above-threshold ionization by a circularly polarized laser field is investigated. Our theoretical approach is based on the modified molecular strong-field approximation. Various gauge-dependent versions of this approximation are considered and homonuclear and heteronuclear molecular species characterized by different symmetries are used as targets. As in the case of a linearly polarized field, the imprint of the molecular multicenter structure can be observed in the above-threshold ionization spectra. It manifests itself as minima in the rate of the ionized electrons as a function of their energy. The locations of these minima are strongly influenced by the symmetry of the corresponding highest occupied molecular orbital as well as the internuclear separation. Analyzing the interference structures of the electron spectra one can obtain information about the molecular symmetry.