Spiral-like holographic structures: Unwinding interference carpets of Coulomb-distorted orbits in strong-field ionization

We unambiguously identify, in experiment and theory, an overlooked holographic interference pattern in strong-field ionization, dubbed "the spiral," stemming from two trajectories where the potential and laser field are equally critical. Because of the strong interaction with the core of the two trajectories, the spiral could be employed as an optimal tool for probing the target after ionization and for revealing obfuscated phases in the bound states. We find that the spiral is responsible for interference carpets, formerly ascribed to direct trajectories, and that the carpet-interference condition is derived from the field symmetry. This case of mistaken identity may have prevented the spiral from being used as a holographic tool.