We present a wave-function based method to solve the time-dependent many-electron Schrödinger equation (TDSE) with special emphasis on strong-field ionization phenomena. The theory builds on the configuration-interaction (CI) approach supplemented by the generalized-active-space (GAS) concept from quantum chemistry. The latter allows for a controllable reduction in the number of configurations in the CI expansion by imposing restrictions on the active orbital space. The method is similar to the recently formulated time-dependent restricted-active-space (TD-RAS) CI method [D. Hochstuhl, and M. Bonitz, Phys. Rev. A 86, 053424 (2012)]. We present details of our implementation and address convergence properties with respect to the active spaces and the associated account of electron correlation in both ground state and excitation scenarios. We apply the TD-GASCI theory to strong-field ionization of polar diatomic molecules and illustrate how the method allows us to uncover a strong correlation-induced shift of the preferred direction of emission of photoelectrons.

We propose and apply the finite-element discrete variable representation to express the nonequilibrium Green's function for strongly inhomogeneous quantum systems. This method is highly favorable against a general basis approach with regard to numerical complexity, memory resources, and computation time. Its flexibility also allows for an accurate representation of spatially extended hamiltonians, and thus opens the way towards a direct solution of the two-time Schwinger/Keldysh/Kadanoff-Baym equations on spatial grids, including e.g. the description of highly excited states in atoms. As first benchmarks, we compute and characterize, in Hartree-Fock and second Born approximation, the ground states of the He atom, the H2 molecule and the LiH molecule in one spatial dimension. Thereby, the ground-state/binding energies, densities and bond-lengths are compared with the direct solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation.

Using the finite-element discrete variable representation of the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) we extend previous work [K. Balzer et al., Phys. Rev. A 81, 022510 (2010)] to nonequilibrium situations and compute-from the two-time Schwinger-Keldysh-Kadanoff-Baym equations-the response of the helium atom and the heteronuclear molecule lithium hydride to laser fields in the uv and xuv regime. In particular, by comparing the one-electron density and the dipole moment to time-dependent Hartree-Fock results on one hand and the full solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation on the other hand, we demonstrate that the time-dependent second Born approximation carries valuable information about electron-electron correlation effects. Also, we outline an efficient distributed memory concept which enables a parallel and well scalable algorithm for computing the NEGF in the two-time domain.

Auger decay carries valuable information about the electronic structure and dynamics of atoms, molecules, and solids. Here we furnish evidence that under certain conditions Auger electrons are subject to an energetic chirp. The effect is disclosed in time-resolved streaking experiments on the Xe NOO and Kr MNN Auger decay using extreme-ultraviolet pulses from the free-electron laser in Hamburg as well as from a high-order harmonic laser source. The origin of this effect is found to be an exchange of energy between the Auger electron and an earlier emitted correlated photoelectron. The observed time-dependent spectral modulations are understood within an analytical model and confirmed by extensive computer simulations.