Strong Field Laser Ionization

The course is a theoretical introduction to strong field laser ionization of atoms and molecules. Common approaches to analyzing ionization events will be presented, including Keldysh, Strong-Field and others. The aim is to both understand ionization from a theoretical perspective and to put into context recent experimental results. With this in mind, important phenomena created by strong field ionization, such as high harmonic generation (HHG) and Rydberg state creation will be explained. Among the fundamental physics questions addressed will be the much debated question of tunneling time in ionization, defining tunneling time and relating it to recent experimental measurement and theoretical literature.