Probing electronic radial wave packets using impulsive momentum retrieval

Abstract

Subpicosecond half-cycle pulses and a single-shot imaging detector have been used to monitor the evolution of electronic radial wave packets in calcium. The time-dependent momentum-space probability distribution is obtained using the impulsive momentum retrieval (IMR) method. The measured distributions are compared to the results of quantum and classical simulations allowing a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits and limitations of the IMR method.