Characterization of Molecular Breakup by Very Intense Femtosecond XUV Laser Pulses

Abstract: We study the breakup of $\text{H}_2^+$ exposed to super-intense, femtosecond laser pulses with frequencies greater than that corresponding to the ionization potential. By solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in an extensive field parameter range, it is revealed that highly nonresonant dissociation channels can dominate over ionization. By considering field-dressed Born-Oppenheimer potential energy curves in the reference frame following a free electron in the field, we propose a simple physical model that characterizes this dissociation mechanism. The model is used to predict control of vibrational excitation, magnitude of the dissociation yields, and nuclear kinetic energy release spectra. Finally, the joint energy spectrum for the ionization process illustrates the energy sharing between the electron and the nuclei and the correlation between ionization and dissociation processes.