Effect of quantum interference on tunneling photoionization rates of N2 and O2 molecules

K Mishima; K Nagaya; M Hayashi; S H Lin

doi:10.1063/1.1859275

Effect of quantum interference on tunneling photoionization rates of N2 and O2 molecules

J Chem Phys. 2005 Mar 8;122(10):104312. doi: 10.1063/1.1859275.

Authors

K Mishima¹, K Nagaya, M Hayashi, S H Lin

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, P. O. Box 23-166, Taipei 10764, Taiwan, Republic of China.

PMID: 15836320
DOI: 10.1063/1.1859275

Abstract

In this work, we reexamine the photoionization rates of N(2) and O(2) molecules using the previously published photoionization rate theory which is based on the original atomic Keldysh theory [K. Mishima et al., Phys. Rev. A 66, 033401 (2002); ibid.66, 053408 (2002)]. We have found that the constructive quantum interference takes place for N(2) molecule while the destructive quantum interference plays an important role for O(2) molecule. This is consistent with the experimental and theoretical results reported in the literature. The formulas derived in this paper clearly show that this is due to the different symmetries of the valence orbitals of N(2) and O(2) molecules.