Ultrafast electronic motion in hydrogen molecular ions induced by a high power intense laser

Abstract

In this Letter we report a method for controlling electronic localization in a molecular ion, on an attosecond time scale, using a high-intensity laser, based on two different excitation mechanisms. One takes place during ionization, and the other takes place sequentially, following ionization. The electronic excited states of the hydrogen molecular ion are created during ionization by taking the configuration interaction mixing of neutral molecules into account. We detect the ultrafast oscillatory electronic motion between two atoms in a hydrogen molecular ion occurring due to the creation of excited states during the course of ionization. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.