Atomic wavefunctions probed through strong-field light\u2013matter interaction

Strong-field light\u2013matter interactions can encode the spatial properties of the electronic wavefunctions that contribute to the process. In particular, the broadband harmonic spectra, measured for a series of molecular alignments, can be used to create a tomographic reconstruction of molecular orbitals. Here, we present an extension of the tomography approach to systems that cannot be naturally aligned.We demonstrate this ability by probing the two-dimensional properties of atomic wavefunctions. By manipulating an electron\u2013ion recollision process, we are able to resolve the symmetry of the atomic wavefunction with high contrast.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye