We numerically study models of ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ and $\mathrm{LiH}$ molecules, aligned collinearly with the linear polarization of the external field, to elucidate the possible role of correlation in the enhanced-ionization (EI) phenomena. Correlation is considered at different levels of approximation with the time-dependent generalized-active-space configuration-interaction method. The results of our studies show that enhanced ionization occurs in multielectron molecules and that correlation is important, and they also demonstrate significant deviations between the results of the single-active-electron approximation and more accurate configuration-interaction methods. We further investigate the role of low-lying excited states in the EI phenomena. With the inclusion of correlation we show strong carrier-envelope-phase effects in the enhanced ionization of the asymmetric heteronuclear $\mathrm{LiH}$-like molecule. The correlated calculation shows an intriguing feature of crossover in enhanced ionization with two carrier-envelope phases at critical internuclear separation.

• Received 7 August 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.92.063423