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Adiabatic dynamics in a V-type quantum system by oppositely chirped counterrotating circularly polarized laser pulses

D. Köhnke, T. Bayer, and M. Wollenhaupt*

  • *Contact author: matthias.wollenhaupt@uol.de
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Phys. Rev. A 112, 023104 – Published 4 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/78w7-wc89

Abstract

Shaped free electron vortices (SEVs) have recently been studied using atomic (1+2) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) by oppositely chirped counterrotating circularly polarized (OC-CRCP) femtosecond laser pulses. By transitioning from the perturbative to the nonperturbative REMPI regime, we identify an adiabatic excitation mechanism in a resonant V-type three-level system, termed V-RAP due to its similarities to rapid adiabatic passage (RAP). Experimentally, we observe a pronounced change in the shape of the measured three-dimensional (3D) photoelectron momentum distribution (PMD), which we trace back to this mechanism via analytical calculations and numerical simulations of the bound state and ionization dynamics. In V-RAP, the atom adiabatically follows the OC-CRCP field, with the two excited states driven in antiphase, leading to an adiabatic cancellation of specific ionization pathways and explaining the observed changes in the PMD. In the experiment, we combine supercontinuum polarization pulse shaping to generate OC-CRCP femtosecond laser pulses with velocity map imaging-based photoelectron tomography to reconstruct the 3D PMD. The reconstructed PMDs are decomposed by 3D Fourier analysis into SEVs of different rotational symmetry, revealing a significant enhancement of the c6-symmetric contribution, which is the signature of the V-RAP.

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Phys. Rev. A 112, 023104– Published 4 August, 2025
  • Received 11 June 2025
  • Accepted 15 July 2025
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