Frustrated ionization in strongly driven triatomic molecules.

We employ a three-dimensional semi-classical model, to demonstrate a significant enhancement of “frustrated’’ double ionization in the two-electron triatomic molecule D3+, driven by counter-rotating two-colour circular laser fields. The enhancement of the probability is due to a pathway, which does not appear in strongly driven molecules with linear fields. In this pathway, the first ionization step is “frustrated” and electronic correlation is negligible. We also employ a simple model that predicts many of the main features of the probabilities of the “frustrated’’ double ionization.

 

We adjust our previous model to treat three-electron escape dynamics in a strongly-driven linear triatomic molecule, HeH2+. To avoid autoionization, we employ criteria to switch on and off the Coulomb forces between electrons at appropriate times. We investigate triple and “frustrated’’ triple ionization and see that two pathways prevail as seen before in “frustrated’’ double ionization. Our results indicate that in triple and “frustrated’’ triple ionization, electronic correlation is weak. Moreover, we find that the fragmenting molecule can deviate from its initial linear configuration.