Atoms interacting with intense, high-frequency laser pulses: Effect of the magnetic-field component on atomic stabilization

Abstract

At sufficiently high laser intensities, the magnetic-field component of the laser field can strongly influence the stabilization of atoms in the high-frequency regime by inducing motion along the laser pulse propagation direction. Using a two-dimensional model atom, we investigate how the duration of the laser pulse affects stabilization in this nondipole regime. Results obtained using a fully spatially dependent vector potential are compared to a long-wavelength approximation. We also discuss nondipole effects when the atom interacts with two counterpropagating pulses.