Atomic Hydrogen in a Superintense High-Frequency Field: Testing the Dipole Approximation

Abstract

We have solved the fully 3-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger and Pauli equations for an electron bound in a Coulomb potential, interacting with a superintense electromagnetic (laser) field of high frequency. Adiabatic stabilization is observed at high intensities. Corrections to the dipole approximation modify the ionization probability only slightly, up to the maximum intensity considered (2.5 · 1019 W cm-2). © 1994 IOP Publishing Ltd.