Relativistic Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Field of Subterawatt Laser Pulses

Abstract

Experiments on the generation of high optical harmonics demonstrating that relativistic regimes of interaction of radiation with matter can be implemented in the field of mid-infrared laser pulses with a peak power of 0.3 TW have been reported. The observation of relativistic phenomena at such extraordinary low peak powers of the laser field becomes possible because of the formation of a high-quality space-time mode of the laser field with an exactly specified polarization state. Such a field structure ensures a high intensity of radiation in the focus of the beam and the effective acceleration of electrons by a low-frequency electromagnetic field of a high-contrast laser pulse with an exactly specified polarization at the extremely sharp vacuum-solid interface.