Intense laser fields interacting with atoms and molecules give rise to novel physics. Presently, worldwide efforts exist to exploit some of these effects to develop and build a new attosecond physics based on non-perturbative sub-laser-cycle ionization dynamics. These efforts are focused on controlling and probing electronic dynamics within atoms, molecules, and solids. Our research in this area involves building and using new theoretical and computational methods to study sub-laser-cycle ionization dynamics in these systems, a central process in the emerging field of attosecond science. In addition to these efforts, we are also interested in exploring the use intense ultrafast laser pulses for controlling atomic and molecular systems with the long-term goal of developing laser-based tools for the processing and storage of photonic quantum information. This research is carried out in close collaboration with experimental groups at the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Ottawa.
Selected publications:
- M. Meckel, A. Staudte, S. Patchkovskii, D.M. Villeneuve, P.B. Corkum, R. Dörner, and M. Spanner, Signatures of the continuum electron phase in molecular strong-field photoelectron holography, Nature Physics 10, 594 (2014).
- M. Spanner and S. Patchkovskii, Molecular strong field ionization and high harmonic generation: A selection of computational illustrations, Chem. Phys. 414, 10 (2013).
- J. Mikosch, A. E. Boguslavskiy, I. Wilkinson, M. Spanner, S. Patchkovskii, and A. Stolow, Channel- and angle-resolved above threshold ionization in the molecular frame, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 023004 (2013).
- M. Spanner, S. Patchkovskii, E. Frumker, and P. Corkum, Mechanisms of Two-Color Laser-Induced Field-Free Molecular Orientation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 113001 (2012).
- A.E. Boguslavskiy, J. Mikosch, A. Gijsbertsen, M. Spanner, S. Patchkovskii, N. Gador, M.J.J. Vrakking, and A. Stolow, The multielectron ionization dynamics underlying attosecond strong field spectroscopies, Science 335, 1336-1340 (2012).