Direct generation of relativistic isolated attosecond pulses in transmission from laser-driven plasmas

Isolated attosecond pulses are useful to perform pump-probe experiments at a high temporal resolution, and provide a new tool for ultrafast metrology. However, it is still a challenging task to generate such pulses of high intensity, even for a few-cycle laser. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we show that it is possible to directly generate a giant isolated attosecond pulse in the transmission direction from relativistic laser-driven plasmas. Compared to attosecond pulse generation in the reflection direction, no further spectral filtering is needed. The underlying radiation mechanism is coherent synchrotron emission, and the transmitted isolated attosecond pulse can reach relativistic intensity. This provides a promising alternative to generate intense isolated attosecond pulses for ultrafast studies. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America

Automated summary

Through particle-in-cell simulations, giant isolated attosecond pulses can be directly generated from relativistic laser-driven plasmas, offering a promising alternative for ultrafast studies with high intensity without the need for further spectral filtering. The underlying radiation mechanism is coherent synchrotron emission, allowing the transmitted pulses to reach relativistic intensity.