Super-Intense Laser-Atom Physics, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2001
NATO Science Series II: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry Series, Vol. 12

The study of atomic systems exposed to super-intense laser fields de­ fines an important area in atomic, molecular and optical physics. Although the concept of super-intense field has no absolute meaning, it is now usual to call an electromagnetic field super-intense when it exceeds the atomic binding field. In the case of the simplest atomic system, hydrogen in its 16 2 ground state, this occurs above an intensity of 3. 5 x 10 Wattfcm which is the atomic unit of intensity. Presently at the laboratory scale and in ex­ tremely short and tightly focussed laser pulses, the electric field strength 16 18 2 reaches peak values which are of the order of 10 - 10 Wattfcm in the infrared frequency regime, the prospect being that such peak intensities may be reached within a few years in a regime of much higher frequencies (XUV or even X). The interaction of such electromagnetic fields with an atomic system has a highly non-linear character which has led to the observation of to­ tally unexpected phenomena. There are three fundamental processes which have marked the beginning of an intensive research in the field of super­ intense laser-atom physics (SILAP). These processes which only involve one atomic electron are (i) the so-called above-threshold ionisation i. e.

Energy distribution of two-electron ionization of helium in an intense laser field.- Double ionization in strong fields: ion momenta and correlated electron momenta.- Mechanism of the nonsequential double ionization of helium.- Electron momentum distributions for double ionization in the strong field limit.- S-matrix theory of ‘recoil-ion’ momentum distribution for double ionization in femtosecond laser fields.- Nonsequential double ionization: a minimal correlation approach.- Non-sequential double ionization of atoms in strong fields.- Double-electron ionization of two-electron system in a strong laser field.- Calculation of double ionization of helium.- The two-electron response in laser driven helium.- The helium atom in strong and short laser pulses: Multielectron effects.- Dynamics of a two-electron system driven by an ultrashort and intense laser pulse.- Angular distributions for double ionization by an ultrashort, intense laser pulse: the case of Li-.- Two-and three electron atoms in strong laser fields.- Tunnelling ionization and the Franck-Condon principle.- Dissociative ionization of few-electron molecules in intense laser fields.- One-photon breakup of H2+ in a strong DC field.- Nuclear fusion in gases of deuterium clusters and hot electron generation in droplet sprays under irradiation with an intense femtosecond laser.- The absorption of energy by large atomic clusters from superintense laser pulses.- A semi-classical model for high-harmonic generation.- Beyond the simple man’s model for high harmonic generation.- Anisotropy-induced polarization effects in harmonic generation by an absorptive medium.- About new method of high harmonic amplification.- X-ray generation via stimulated recombination of electrons and Bohr’s correspondence principle.-Interference stabilization: ?- and V-schemes, dynamics of ionization initial coherent population of Rydberg levels and quantum phase control of the ionization yield.- Computer experiments on atomic stabilization in a strong laser field.- Quasistationary stabilization of the decay of a weakly-bound level and its breakdown in a strong laser field.- The strong field limit of atomic stabilization in ultrashort pulses.- 3-D numerical calculations of laser atom interactions — Subrelativistic and weakly relavistic regime.- Momentum space description of hydrogen atom interacting with a low frequency, strong laser field.- Relativistic effects in the atomic response to super-intense laser pulses.- Weakly relativistic stabilization — The effect of the magnetic field.- Intense laser-atom interactions: beyond the dipole approximation.- A picturebook of relativistically driven wavepackets.- Position dependent tunneling speed for particles under a barrier.- Relativistic energy and angular distributions of electrons in the ionization of atoms by super-intense laser radiation.- Atomic wave packets created by short electric pulses.- Strong field coherent control.- Author Index.