Time delay in valence shell photoionization of noble gas atoms

Abstract: We use the non-relativistic random phase approximation with exchange to perform calculations of valence shell photoionization of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe from their respective thresholds to photon energy of 200 eV. The energy derivative of the complex phase of the photoionization matrix elements is converted to the photoelectron group delay that can be measured in attosecond streaking or two-photon transitions interference experiments. Comparison with reported time delay measurements in Ne and Ar at a few selected photon energies is made. Systematic mapping of time delay across a wide range of photon energies in several atomic targets allows to highlight important aspects of fundamental atomic physics that can be probed by attosecond time delay measurements.