Control of the photoelectron interference in XUV-assisted photoionization
Phys. Rev. A 112, 053110 – Published 18 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dplc-wb95
Abstract
Photoelectron interferometry in strong-field photoionization serves as a powerful tool for probing atomic and molecular structure, and ultrafast electron dynamics. In the photoelectron momentum spectrum, different types of interference patterns are intertwined, which complicates the extraction of information from specific interference patterns. Enhancing the desired interference features is thus essential for their applications. Here, we propose a scheme to control the interference in the photoelectron momentum spectrum through ultraviolet (XUV)-assisted photoionization. Our scheme employs an XUV pulse to govern the initial ionization or excitation process, and an infrared (IR) field to steer the subsequent electron dynamics, offering more degrees of freedom to tailor photoelectron interference. By numerically solving the three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we demonstrate that the intracycle interference and the near-forward rescattering photoelectron holographic interference are selectively enhanced or suppressed by tuning the XUV-IR time delay and the XUV pulse parameters. Our findings pave the way for attosecond-scale tracking of electron motion via photoelectron interferometry.
