Ultra-intense single attosecond pulse generated from circularly polarized laser interacting with overdense plasma
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-211, Shanghai 201800 (China)
- Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)
Few-cycle relativistic circularly polarized (CP) laser pulse reflected from overdense plasma is investigated by analysis and particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that through the laser-induced one-time drastic oscillation of the plasma boundary, an ultra-intense single attosecond light pulse can be generated naturally. An analytical model is proposed to describe the interaction and it agrees well with simulation results. They both indicate that peak intensity of the generated attosecond pulse is higher when the plasma density is closer to the relativistic transparency threshold and/or the pulse duration is closer to plasma oscillating period. Two dimensional simulation shows that a two-cycle 10{sup 21} W/cm{sup 2} CP laser can generate a single 230 attosecond 2 x 10{sup 21} W/cm{sup 2} pulse of light at a conversion efficiency greater than 10{sup -2}.
- OSTI ID:
- 22043422
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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