Ionization of the hydrogen atom by short half-cycle pulses: dependence on the pulse duration

A theoretical study of the ionization of hydrogen atoms by short external half-cycle pulses (HCPs) as a function of the pulse duration, using different quantum and classical approaches, is presented. Total ionization probability and energy distributions of ejected electrons are calculated in the framework of the singly-distorted Coulomb-Volkov (SDCV) and the doubly-distorted Coulomb-Volkov (DDCV) approximations. We also performed quasiclassical calculations based on a classical trajectory Monte Carlo method which includes the possibility of tunneling (CTMC-T). Quantum and classical results are compared to the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE). We find that for high momentum transfers the DDCV shows an improvement compared to the SDCV, especially in the low-energy region of the electron emission spectra, where SDCV fails. In addition, DDCV reproduces successfully the TDSE electron energy distributions at weak momentum transfers. CTMC-T results reveal the importance of tunneling in the ionization process for relative long pulses and strong momentum transfers but fails to overcome the well-known classical suppression observed for weak electric fields.