Abstract:

Nondipole terms in the atom-laser interaction arising due to the presence of a magnetic component in an electromagnetic wave and its inhomogeneity lead to nonseparability of the center-of-mass (CM) and electron variables in the neutral atom and, as a consequence, to its acceleration. We investigate this effect as well as the accompanying excitation and ionization processes for the hydrogen atom in strong (10¹² ÷ 2×10¹⁴ W/cm²) linearly polarized short-wavelength (5 eV ≤ hν ≤ 27 eV) electromagnetic pulses of about 8 fs duration. The study has been carried out within the framework of a hybrid quantum-quasiclassical approach in which the coupled time-dependent Schrödinger equation for an electron and the classical Hamilton equations for the CM of an atom are simultaneously integrated (V. Melezhik, J Phys. A 56, 154003, 2023). Optimal conditions with respect to the frequency and intensity of the electromagnetic wave for the acceleration of atoms without their noticeable ionization are found in the analyzed region.