Scaling strong-field interactions towards the classical limit
Author: ["P. Colosimo","G. Doumy","C. I. Blaga","J. Wheeler","C. Hauri","F. Catoire","J. Tate","R. Chirla","A. M. March","G. G. Paulus","H. G. Muller","P. Agostini","L. F. DiMauro"]
Publication: Nature Physics
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Abstract
A systematic experimental study of the ionization of argon by mid-infrared light confirms half-a-century-old predictions and paves the way to the development of brighter, shorter attosecond pulse sources. In 1964 Keldysh1 helped lay the foundations of strong-field physics by introducing a theoretical framework that characterized atomic ionization as a process that evolves with the intensity and wavelength of the fundamental field. Within this context, experiments2 have examined the intensity-dependent ionization but, except for a few cases, technological limitations have confined the majority to wavelengths below 1 μm. The development of intense, ultrafast laser sources in the mid-infrared (1 μm<λ<5 μm) region enables exploration of the wavelength scaling of the Keldysh picture while enabling new opportunities in strong-field physics, control of electronic motion and attosecond science. Here we report a systematic experimental investigation of the wavelength scaling in this region by concurrently analysing the production of energetic electrons and photons emitted by argon atoms interacting with few-cycle, mid-infrared fields. The results support the implicit predictions contained in Keldysh’s work, and pave the way to the realization of brighter and shorter attosecond pulsed light sources using longer-wavelength driving fields.
Cite this article
Colosimo, P., Doumy, G., Blaga, C. et al. Scaling strong-field interactions towards the classical limit. Nature Phys 4, 386–389 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys914
