Subfemtosecond, coherent, relativistic, and ballistic electron bunches generated at {omega}{sub 0} and 2{omega}{sub 0} in high intensity laser-matter interaction

Harmonics of the laser light have been observed from the rear side of solid targets irradiated by a laser beam at relativistic intensities. This emission evidences the acceleration of subfemtosecond electron bunches by the laser pulse in front of the target. These bunches emit coherent transition ra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of plasmas 2005-06, Vol.12 (6)
Main Authors: Popescu, H., Baton, S.D., Amiranoff, F., Rousseaux, C., Le Gloahec, M. Rabec, Santos, J.J., Gremillet, L., Koenig, M., Martinolli, E., Hall, T., Adam, J.C., Heron, A., Batani, D., Commisariat a l'Energie Atomique, 91680 Bruyeres-le-Cha circumflex tel, LULI, UMR 7605, CNRS-CEA-Ecole Polytechnique-Paris 6, 91128 Palaiseau, Department of Physics, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, CPhT, UMR 7644, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, Dipartimento di Fisica 'G. Occhialini' and INFM, Universita di Milano-Bicocca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BEAM BUNCHING
ELECTRON BEAMS
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA GUNS
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Summary:Harmonics of the laser light have been observed from the rear side of solid targets irradiated by a laser beam at relativistic intensities. This emission evidences the acceleration of subfemtosecond electron bunches by the laser pulse in front of the target. These bunches emit coherent transition radiation (CTR) when passing through the back surface of the target. The spectral features of the signal recorded for targets of thicknesses up to several hundred microns are consistent with the electrons being accelerated by both the laser electric field--via vacuum heating and/or resonance absorption,--and the vxB component of the Lorentz force. The spatial study of the radiation shows that the relativistic electrons causing the CTR radiation are coherent and propagate ballistically through the target, originating from a source with a size of the order of the laser focal spot.
ISSN:1070-664X
1089-7674
DOI:10.1063/1.1927328