Electron-electron correlation in two-photon double ionization of He-like ions [Counterintuitive electron correlation in two-photon double ionization of He-like ions]
Electron correlation plays a crucial role in quantum many-body physics ranging from molecular bonding, strong-field–induced multi-electron ionization, to superconducting in materials. Understanding the dynamic electron correlation in the photoionization of relatively simple quantum three-body systems, such as He and He-like ions, is an important step toward manipulating complex systems through photo-induced processes. Here we have performed ab initio investigations of two-photon double ionization (TPDI) of He and He-like ions [Li + , Be 2+ , and C 4+ ] exposed to intense attosecond x-ray pulses. Results from such fully correlated quantum calculations show weaker and weaker electron correlation effects in TPDI spectra as the ionic charge increases, which is counterintuitive to the belief that the strongly correlated ground state and the strong Coulomb field of He-like ions should lead to more equal-energy sharing in photoionization. Lastly, these findings indicate that the final-state electron–electron correlation ultimately determines their energy sharing in TPDI.