Control of frustrated double ionization channels with the carrier-envelope phase of few-cycle linearly polarized laser pulses

Using a three-dimensional classical method, we theoretically explore the frustrated double ionization (FDI) of Ar atoms under few-cycle linearly polarized laser pulses with different carrier-envelope phases (CEPs). Our calculated spectra are similar to the recent experimentally observed two peeks in the electron momentum distribution (Larimian et al 2020 Phys. Rev. Res. 2 013021). The dependence of FDI on laser CEPs is investigated, and the result reveals that the two different pathways of FDI can be controlled by CEPs. The information on which pathway leads to FDI is encoded in the electron-electron energy distribution shortly after recollision and momentum distribution at the ionization time after recollision.