We present results of high-resolution experiments on single ionization of He, Ne and Ar by ultra-short (25 fs, 6 fs) 795 nm laser pulses at intensities 0.15 -2.0. 10 15 W/cm 2 . We show that the ATI-like pattern can survive deep in the tunneling regime and that the atomic structure plays an important role in the formation of the low-energy photoelectron spectra even at high intensities. The absence of ponderomotive shifts, the splitting of the peaks and their degeneration for few-cycle pulses indicate that the observed structures originate from a resonant process.

We report on a kinematically complete experiment on nonsequential double ionization of He by 25 fs 800 nm laser pulses at 1.5 PW/cm;{2}. The suppression of the recollision-induced excitation at this high intensity allows us to address in a clean way direct (e,2e) ionization by the recolliding electron. In contrast with earlier experimental results, but in agreement with various theoretical predictions, the two-electron momentum distributions along the laser polarization axis exhibit a pronounced V-shaped structure, which can be explained by the role of Coulomb repulsion and typical (e,2e) kinematics.

We report on a real-time imaging of the ultrafast D(+)2 rovibrational nuclear wave-packet motion performed using a combination of a pump-probe setup with 7 fs laser pulses and a "reaction-microscope" spectrometer. We observe fast dephasing (collapse) of the vibrational wave packet and its subsequent revival and prove rotational excitation in ultrashort laser pulses. Channel-selective Fourier analysis of the wave packet's long-term (approximately 3000 fs) evolution allows us to resolve its individual constituents, revealing unique information on the mechanisms of strong-field ionization and dissociation.

We present the results of the detailed experimental study of multiple ionization of Ne and Ar by 25 and 7 fs laser pulses. For Ne the highly correlated "instantaneous" emission of up to four electrons is triggered by a recollisional electron impact, whereas in multiple ionization of Ar different mechanisms, involving field ionization steps and recollision-induced excitations, play a major role. Using few-cycle pulses we are able to suppress those processes that occur on time scales longer than one laser cycle.

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