Open AccessRelativistic ionization of hydrogen by linearly polarized light
Author(s) -
Douglas Plummer Crawford,
Howard Reiss
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.2.000289
Subject(s) - physics , discrete dipole approximation , ionization , linear polarization , polarization (electrochemistry) , atomic physics , dipole , laser , elliptical polarization , dirac equation , relativistic quantum chemistry , electric field , circular polarization , magnetic field , quantum electrodynamics , optics , ion , quantum mechanics , chemistry
Relativistic ionization of hydrogen by intense, linearly polarized light is treated by the Strong Field Approximation (SFA). Both bound and ionized states are described by the Dirac equation, with spin effects fully included. The applied laser field is also treated relativistically. There is no recourse to the dipole approximation nor to large-component, small-component approximations. Examples are calculated for the long-pulse limit of a uniformly distributed laser field. A prediction is verified that relativistic effects will appear with linear polarization of the laser at lower intensities than with circular polarization. Strong-field atomic stabilization is found to be enhanced by relativistic effects.