Laser-subcycle control of sequential double-ionization dynamics of helium

We present measured momentum distributions on the double ionization of helium with intense, near-circularly-polarized few-cycle laser pulses with a known carrier-envelope offset phase (CEP). The capability of obtaining CEP-resolved momentum distributions enables us to observe signatures of the various combinations of laser-half-cycle two-electron emissions. By comparison to semiclassical trajectory simulations, we succeed in assigning the corresponding structures in the measured distributions to certain two-electron emission dynamics. Based on this possibility, we demonstrate that the sequential double-ionization dynamics can be sensitively controlled with the pulse duration and the laser peak intensity. For the shortest pulse durations and not too high intensities we find that the two electrons are dominantly emitted with a delay of roughly a laser half cycle. For a just slightly increased intensity we find evidence that at least one of the two electrons is surprisingly likely emitted in between the peaks of the laser field oscillations rather than at the field maxima. The simulations reproduce the signatures of these kinds of two-electron emissions overall relatively well.