Above-threshold ionization by an elliptically polarized field: Interplay between electronic quantum trajectories

Measurements of energy-resolved angular distributions of electrons generate d in above-threshold ionization of rare gases in a field with elliptical po larization are presented, with emphasis on the high-energy part of the spec tra. The data show a second plateau at a specific angle with respect to the large component of the laser field. The results are compared to a calculat ion based on a strong-field rescattering approximation. This is interpreted in terms of the superposition of quantum trajectories. The second plateau is associated with the interference of electrons that do and that do not re scatter.