High harmonic generation in relativistic laser–plasma interaction

High harmonic generation in relativistic laser–plasma interaction

High harmonics generated due to the scattering of relativistic electrons from high intensity laser light is studied. The experiments are carried out with an Nd:Glass laser system with a peak intensity of 2310 W cm in underdense plasma. It is shown that, at high intensities, when the normalized electric field approaches unity, in addition to the conventional atomic harmonics from bound electrons...

High-harmonic generation in plasmas from relativistic laser-electron scattering

Results are presented on the generation of high harmonics through the scattering of relativistic electrons from high-intensity laser light. The characteristic signatures of this process are found to be the emission of evenorder harmonics, linear dependence on the electron density, significant amount of harmonics with circular polarization, and small spatial extent of the source. The harmonics a...

Observation of phase-matched relativistic harmonic generation

Phase-matched relativistic harmonic generation in plasmas is observed for the first time. Third-harmonic light is detected and discriminated spectrally and angularly from the harmonics generated from competing processes. Its angular pattern is a narrow forward-directed cone, which is consistent with phase matching of a high-order transverse mode in a plasma. The signal level is found to be on t...

Nonlinear analysis of relativistic harmonic generation by intenselasers in plasmas

Comment on "transition to the relativistic regime in high order harmonic generation".

Experiments and computer simulations on the generation of high order harmonics from steep plasma gradients using intense femtosecond laser pulses are presented. Qualitative changes in the harmonic emission take place when the intensities are increased above 10(19) W/cm2 and/or the plasma scale length is varied. Good agreement between experimental and calculated spectra makes it possible to clea...