Twofold Symmetric Angular Distributions in Multiphoton Ionization with Elliptically Polarized Light

Abstract

The angular distributions of electrons in multiphoton multichannel ionization of hydrogen for the case of elliptically polarized laser light are calculated within a nonperturbative theoretical model taking into account the Coulomb interaction in the final state. It is found that the ellipticity of the radiation not only modifies the shape but also lowers the fourfold rotational symmetry occurring in linear polarization to a twofold one.