Interference in strong-field ionization of a two- centre atomic system

Strong-field photoionization of argon dimers by a few-cycle laser pulse is investigated using electron–ion coincidence momentum spectroscopy. The momentum distribution of the photoelectrons exhibits interference due to the emission from the two atomic argon centres, in analogy with a Young’s doubleslit experiment. However, a simulation of the dimer photoelectron momentum spectrum based on the atomic spectrum supplemented with a theoretically derived interference term leads to distinct deviations from the experimental result. The deviations may have their origin in a complex electron dynamics during strong-field ionization of the Ar2 dimer. 6 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. New Journal of Physics 10 (2008) 093027 1367-2630/08/093027+16$30.00 © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft