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Chin. Phys. B, 2026, Vol. 35(3): 033201    DOI: 10.1088/1674-1056/adfdc6
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS Prev  

Angular momentum distribution of atomic hydrogen in excited states under ultra-short laser field

Zhaoyan Zhou(周兆妍)†, Dongwen Zhang(张栋文), and Zengxiu Zhao(赵增秀)
Department of Physics, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Abstract  We investigate the population distribution of excited angular momentum ($l$) states in the interaction between a hydrogen atom and an ultra-short laser pulse. Through numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we theoretically investigate the laser-induced oscillations among excited $l$-states. Temporal evolution analysis reveals distinctive signatures of both multiphoton excitation and frustrated tunneling ionization processes. Specifically, multiphoton excitation dominates during the final optical cycle as the laser peak intensity attenuates, thereby critically determining the final $l$-states population distribution. We demonstrate that the angular quantum states' parity effect does not persist, even for ultra-short pulses with broad frequency bandwidths. The parity effect is also unaffected by laser field asymmetry.
Keywords:  ultra-short laser pulses      excited angular momentum states      time-dependent Schrödinger equation      parity effect  
Received:  10 June 2025      Revised:  10 August 2025      Accepted manuscript online:  21 August 2025
PACS:  32.80.-t (Photoionization and excitation)  
  32.80.Rm (Multiphoton ionization and excitation to highly excited states)  
  31.70.Hq (Time-dependent phenomena: excitation and relaxation processes, and reaction rates)  
Fund: Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12374241 and 12374263).
Corresponding Authors:  Zhaoyan Zhou     E-mail:  cnzhzhy@nudt.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Zhaoyan Zhou(周兆妍)†, Dongwen Zhang(张栋文), and Zengxiu Zhao(赵增秀) Angular momentum distribution of atomic hydrogen in excited states under ultra-short laser field 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 033201

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