Coherent Wake Emission Research Articles

Basic mechanisms of laser high-order harmonic generation from plasma mirrors

We discuss the two mechanisms involved in high-order harmonic generation from plasma mirrors, which can be clearly identified in numerical simulations: the coherent wake emission (CWE) and the relativistic oscillating mirror (ROM) processes. Using high-contrast multi-TeraWatt ultrashort laser pulses, harmonics originating from these two processes can also be distinguished experimentally.