Exploring valence-electron dynamics of xenon through laser-induced electron diffraction

Strong-field ionization can induce electron motion in both the continuum and valence shell of the parent ion. Here we report on a joint theoretical and experimental investigation of laser-induced electron diffraction in xenon. We explore the interplay of electron recollision with spin-orbit dynamics in the valence shell of the xenon cation. On the theory side, the electron-hole potentials for two different states are constructed, and the quantitative rescattering model is used to calculate the photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) for high-order above-threshold ionization of xenon. Measurements were carried out using 40-fs laser pulses with a central wavelength of 3100 nm and a peak laser intensity of 6×10¹³0.16em0exW/cm². The simulated PMDs describe well the features of the measured angular distributions of photoelectrons. Our study reveals a theoretical distinction between the electron signals resulting from rescattering off the $m=0$ and $|m|=1$ hole states, particularly noting a distinct change along the backward scattering angles. However, to fully identify the contributions of the hole states, a more accurate agreement between theory and experiment will be needed.