Carrier-Envelope Phase-Dependent Strong-Field Excitation

We present a joint experimental-theoretical study on the effect of the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of a few-cycle pulse on the atomic excitation process. We focus on the excitation rates of argon at intensities in the transition between the multiphoton and tunneling regimes. Through numerical simulations, we show that the resulting bound-state population is highly sensitive to both the intensity and the CEP. The experimental data clearly agree with the theoretical prediction, and the results encourage the use of precisely tailored laser fields to coherently control the strong-field excitation process. We find a markedly different behavior for the CEP-dependent bound-state population at low and high intensities with a clear boundary, which we attribute to the transition from the multiphoton to the tunneling regime

Automated summary

This joint experimental-theoretical study focuses on the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of a few-cycle pulse and its effect on atomic excitation processes. The results confirm the theoretical predictions and suggest the use of tailored laser fields for coherent control of strong-field excitation. The study shows distinct CEP-dependent behavior for bound-state population at low and high intensities.