Laser-Induced Electron Transfer in the Dissociative Multiple Ionization of Argon Dimers

Abstract

We report on an experimental and theoretical study of the ionization-fragmentation dynamics of argon dimers in intense few-cycle laser pulses with a tagged carrier-envelope phase. We find that a field-driven electron transfer process from one argon atom across the system boundary to the other argon atom triggers subcycle electron-electron interaction dynamics in the neighboring atom. This attosecond electron-transfer process between distant entities and its implications manifests itself as a distinct phase-shift between the measured asymmetry of electron emission curves of the ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}+{\mathrm{Ar}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{2+}+{\mathrm{Ar}}^{2+}$ fragmentation channels. This letter discloses a strong-field route to controlling the dynamics in molecular compounds through the excitation of electronic dynamics on a distant molecule by driving intermolecular electron-transfer processes.