Above-threshold ionization in neon produced by combining optical and bichromatic XUV femtosecond laser pulses

We consider the ionization of neon induced by a femtosecond laser pulse composed of overlapping, linearly polarized bichromatic extreme ultraviolet and infrared fields. In particular, we study the effects of infrared light on a two-pathway ionization scheme for which Ne 2s(2)2p(5)3s(1)P is used as the intermediate state. Using time-dependent calculations, supported by a theoretical approach based on the strong-field approximation, we analyze the ionization probability and the photoelectron angular distributions associated with the different sidebands of the ionization spectrum. Complex oscillations of the angular distribution anisotropy parameters as a function of the infrared light intensity are revealed. Finally, we demonstrate that coherent control of the asymmetry is achievable by tuning the infrared frequency to a nearby electronic transition.