Relativistic attosecond physics

A study, with particle-in-cell simulations, of relativistic nonlinear optics in the regime of tight focus and ultrashort pulse duration sthe l3 regimed reveals that synchronized attosecond electromagnetic pulses fN. M. Naumova, J. A. Nees, I. V. Sokolov, B. Hou, and G. A. Mourou, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 063902 s2004dg and attosecond electron bunches fN. Naumova, I. Sokolov, J. Nees, A. Maksimchuk, V. Yanovsky, and G. Mourou, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 195003 s2004dg emerge efficiently from laser interaction with overdense plasmas. The l3 concept enables a more basic understanding and a more practical implementation of these phenomena because it provides spatial and temporal isolation. The synchronous generation of strong attosecond electromagnetic pulses and dense attosecond electron bunches provides a basis for relativistic attosecond optoelectronics. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. fDOI: 10.1063/1.1880032g