Sub-laser-cycle control of relativistic plasma mirrors

Abstract

We present measurements of high-order harmonics and relativistic electrons emitted into the vacuum from a plasma mirror driven by temporally shaped ultraintense laser wave forms, produced by collinearly combining the main laser field with its second harmonic. We experimentally show how these observables are influenced by the phase delay between these two frequencies at the attosecond timescale, and relate these observations to the underlying physics through an advanced analysis of 1D/2D particle-in-cell simulations. These results demonstrate that subcycle shaping of the driving laser field provides fine control on the properties of the relativistic electron bunches responsible for harmonic and particle emission from plasma mirrors.