TY - JOUR KW - non-Palaiseau KW - paper AU - NL Manakov AU - Alfred Maquet AU - SI Marmo AU - Valérie Véniard AU - G Ferrante AB - The three-dimensional angular distribution of electrons in two-photon ionization of atoms by an elliptically polarized laser beam, from an initial state with arbitrary angular momentum J(i), is expressed in terms of six frequency-dependent invariant atomic parameters. The specific effect of the field polarization on the angular distribution (the elliptic dichroism, ED) is discussed for the general case of elliptic polarization. The necessary conditions for a non-zero ED are established and its physical origin is explained. The general theory is illustrated by a simple analytical calculation for the delta-potential model. Numerical calculations of the angular distribution parameters for H and Cs atoms are also performed and the dependence of ED magnitude on the atomic quantum numbers and the photon frequency is discussed for different frequencies. BT - JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS DA - AUG 14 M1 - 15 N2 - The three-dimensional angular distribution of electrons in two-photon ionization of atoms by an elliptically polarized laser beam, from an initial state with arbitrary angular momentum J(i), is expressed in terms of six frequency-dependent invariant atomic parameters. The specific effect of the field polarization on the angular distribution (the elliptic dichroism, ED) is discussed for the general case of elliptic polarization. The necessary conditions for a non-zero ED are established and its physical origin is explained. The general theory is illustrated by a simple analytical calculation for the delta-potential model. Numerical calculations of the angular distribution parameters for H and Cs atoms are also performed and the dependence of ED magnitude on the atomic quantum numbers and the photon frequency is discussed for different frequencies. PY - 1999 SP - 3747 EP - 3767 T2 - JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS TI - Elliptic dichroism and angular distribution of electrons in two-photon ionization of atoms VL - 32 SN - 0953-4075 ER -