Nonsequential double ionization channels control of Ar with few-cycle elliptically polarized laser pulse by carrier-envelope-phase.

The carrier-envelop-phase (CEP) dependence of nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of atomic Ar with few-cycle elliptically polarized laser pulse is investigated using 2D classical ensemble method. We distinguish two particular recollision channels in NSDI, which are recollision-impact ionization (RII) and recollision-induced excitation with subsequent ionization (RESI). We separate the RII and RESI channels according to the delay time between recollision and final double ionization. By tracing the history of the trajectories, we find the electron correlation spectra as well as the competition between the two channels are sensitively dependent on the laser field CEP. Finally, control can be achieved between the two channels by varying the CEP. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America