Plateau structure in resonant laser-assisted electron-atom scattering.

Orders of magnitude increases are predicted in the cross sections for electron-atom scattering accompanied by absorption or emission of n laser photons for incident electron energies at which the electron, by emitting micro laser photons, can be captured by the atom to form a negative ion. Enhancements are most significant in the plateau region (n>>micro) of the scattered electron spectrum, whose shape is predicted to replicate that of the ion's (n+micro)-photon detachment spectrum.