Inelastic rescattering processes in molecules measured with few-cycle laser pulses

We study electron recollision processes induced in D(2) by the nonlinear interaction with 800 nm few-cycle laser pulses. We show that sequential double ionization is suppressed at intensities below 2 x 10(14) W cm(-2), and the inelastic rescattering processes (electronic excitation and double ionization) become dominant and can be investigated as a function of intensity and ellipticity. At 1 x 10(14) W cm(-2), the D(+) kinetic energy spectrum arises from recollision- induced electronic excitation (D(2)(+) -> D(+)+D) and is explained by the contributions of two dissociative excited electronic states of D(2)(+) ((2)Sigma(+)(u) and (2)Pi(u)).