Energy transfer among distant quantum systems in spatially shaped laser fields: Two H atoms with an internuclear separation of 5.29 nm (100 a.u.)

The quantum dynamics of two distant H atoms excited by ultrashort and spatially shaped laser pulses is studied by the numerical solution of the non-Born-Oppenheimer time-dependent Schroedinger equation within a three-dimensional (3D) model, including the internuclear distance R and the two z coordinates of the electrons z1 and z2. The two one-dimensional (1D) H atoms, A and B, are assumed to be initially in their ground states with a large (but otherwise arbitrary) internuclear separation of R=100 a.u. (5.29 nm). Two types of a spatial envelope of a laser field linearly polarized along the z axis are considered: (i) a broad Gaussian envelope, such that atom A is excited by the laser field predominantly, and (ii) a narrow envelope, such that practically only atom A is excited by the laser field. With the laser carrier frequency ω=1.0 a.u. and the pulse duration tp=5 fs, in both cases an efficient energy transfer from atom A to atom B has been found. The ionization of atom B achieved mostly after the end of the laser pulse is close to or even higher than that of atom A. It is shown that with a narrow spatial envelope of the laser field, the underlying mechanisms of the energy transfer from A to B and the ionization of B are the Coulomb attraction of the laser driven electron by the proton of atom B and a short-range Coulomb repulsion of the two electrons when their wave functions significantly overlap in the domain of atom B. In the case of a broad Gaussian spatial envelope of the laser field, the opposite process also occurs, but with smaller probability: the energy is transferred from the weakly excited atom B to atom A, and the ionization of atom A is also induced by the electron-electron repulsion in the domain of atom A due to a strong overlap of the electronic wave functions.