Angular anisotropy parameters for photoionization delays

Abstract

Anisotropy parameters describing the angular dependence of the photoionization delay are defined. The formalism is applied to results obtained with the relativistic random phase approximation with exchange for photoionization delay from the outermost s-orbitals in selected rare-gas atoms. Any angular dependence in the Wigner delay is induced here by relativistic effects, while the measurable atomic delay exhibits such a dependence also in the nonrelativistic limit. The contributions to the anisotropy from the different sources are disentangled and discussed. For the heavier rare gases, it is shown that measurements of the delay for electrons ejected in specific angles, relative to, e.g., those ejected along the laser polarization, are directly related here to the Wigner delay. For a considerable range of angles, the contributions from the second photon largely get canceled when the results in different angles are compared, and this angle-relative atomic delay is then close to the corresponding Wigner delay.