IONIZATION IN A 1-DIMENSIONAL DIPOLE MODEL

Abstract

We study the evolution of a one-dimensional model atom with δ-function binding potential, subjected to a dipole radiation field E(t)x with E(t) a 2π/ω-periodic real-valued function. We prove that when E(t) is a trigonometric polynomial, complete ionization occurs, i.e. the probability of finding the electron in any fixed region goes to zero as t → ∞. For ψ(x, t = 0) compactly supported and general periodic fields, we decompose ψ(x, t) into uniquely defined resonance terms and a remainder. Each resonance is 2π/ω periodic in time and behaves like the exponentially growing Green's function near x = ±∞. The remainder is given by an asymptotic power series in t-1/2 with coefficients varying with x.