Photoionization microscopy of Rydberg hydrogen atom in a time-dependent electric field

The photoionization microscopy of the Rydberg hydrogen atom in a time-dependent gradient electric field is investigated for the first time based on the semiclassical open orbit theory. Oscillatory pattern appears in the spatial distributions of electron probability density, which is caused by the interference between different electron trajectories that reach the detector. Compared with the photoionization in the uniform electric field, the time-dependent electric field restricts the electron motion in the plane perpendicular to the electric field and causes the number of the electron trajectories arrive at the detector plane increase significantly. Our calculation results suggest even at a macroscopic distance from the photoionization source, which is typical for an actual photoionization microscopy experiment, the interference pattern in the electron probability density still can be seen clearly. Therefore, we make predictions that our work should serve as a guide to future photoionization microscopy experiment in the time-dependent electric fields.