Multiphoton Ionization and Dissociation of Molecular Hydrogen at 1.06 μm

This paper reports the experimental investigation of the multiphoton dissociation and ionization of the hydrogen molecule under the influence of Nd-glass laser radiation at 1.06 {μ}m. The higher electronic states of the potential-energy curves of H₂ are found to play the dominant role. An eleven-photon process is the initial step in the formation of H⁺ and a twelve-photon process is the initial step in the formation of H₂^_⁺.