Reflection of a few-cycle laser pulse on a metal nano-layer: generation of phase-dependent wake-fields

dc.creatorVarro, Sandor
dc.date2006-10-25
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T07:40:10Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T07:40:10Z
dc.descriptionThe reflection and transmission of a few-cycle femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulse impinging on a metal nano-layer have been analysed. The thickness of the layer was assumed to be of order of 2-10 nm, and the metallic free electrons were represented by a surface current density distributed at the plane boundary of a dielectric substrate. The target studied this way can be imagined, for instance, as a semi-transparent mirror produced by evapotating a thin aluminum layer on the surface of a glass plate. The exact analytic solution has been given for the system of the coupled Maxwell-Lorentz equations decribing the dynamics of the surface current and the scattered radiation fields. It has been shown that in general a non-oscillatoty frozen-in wake-field appears following the main pulse with an exponential decay and with a definite sign of the electric field. The characteristic time of these wake-fields is inversely proportional with the square of the plasma frequency and with the thickness of the metal nano-layer, and can be larger than the original pulse duration. The magnitude of these wake-fields is proportional with the incoming field strength, and the definite sign of them governed by the cosine of the carrier-envelope phase difference of the incoming ultrashort laser pulse. As a consequence, when we let such a wake-field excite the electrons of a secondary target (say an electron beam, a metal plate or a gas jet), we obtain 100 percent modulation in the electron signal in a given direction, as we vary the carrier-envelope phase difference. This scheeme can perhaps serve as a basis for the construction of a robust linear carrier-envelope phase difference meter.
dc.description8 pages, 2 figures
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610229
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610229
dc.identifierLaser Physics Letters, Vol. 4, pp 138-144 (2007)
dc.identifierdoi:10.1002/lapl.200610095
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/121699
dc.subjectPlasma Physics
dc.titleReflection of a few-cycle laser pulse on a metal nano-layer: generation of phase-dependent wake-fields
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