Resonant Above-Threshold Ionization Peaks at Quantized Intensities

Abstract

We suggest that electron-laser interactions can give rise to resonance phenomena as the intensity varies. A new QED perturbation theory is developed, in which the coupling between an electron and the second quantized laser mode is treated nonperturbatively. We predict, for example, the above-threshold ionization rate shows peaks at intensities with integer ponderomotive parameter. Such quantum resonance effects may be exploited to calibrate laser intensities in appropriate range.