Recent attoclock experiments and theoretical studies regarding the strong-field ionization of atoms by few-cycle infrared pulses revealed features that have attracted much attention. Here we investigate tunneling ionization and the dynamics of the electron probability using Bohmian mechanics. We consider a one-dimensional problem to illustrate the underlying mechanisms of the ionization process. It is revealed that in the major part of the below-the-barrier ionization regime, in an intense and short infrared pulse, the electron does not tunnel through the entire barrier, but rather starts already from the classically forbidden region. Moreover, we highlight the correspondence between the probability of locating the electron at a particular initial position and its asymptotic momentum. Bohmian mechanics also provides a natural definition of mean tunneling time and exit position, taking account of the time dependence of the barrier. Finally, we find that the electron can exit the barrier with significant kinetic energy, thereby corroborating the results of a recent study [N. Camus et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 023201 (2017)].

• Received 20 April 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.97.013402