Asymmetries in above-threshold ionization.
01 January 1988
Above-threshold atomic photoemission with elliptically polarized light is not symmetric with respect to reflections above the principal polarization axes, contrary to predictions. Total inversion symmetry is still maintained. The asymmetry occurs in helium, krypton, and xenon photoelectron spectra, and depends on the laser intensity and polarization, and the electron energy. Possible mechanisms are discussed.