Relativistic attosecond electron bunch emission from few-cycle laser irradiated nanoscale droplets

Abstract

Attosecond electron bunches produced at the surface of nanometer-scale droplets illuminated by a two-cycle laser pulse are investigated for the purpose of determining their optimal emission characteristics. Significant departures from Mie theory are found for electron bunch emission from droplets whose radii satisfy the condition δ_{r}<R<10δ_{r}, where δ_{r}=γ^{1/2}c/ω_{p} is the plasma relativistic skin depth; an effect which can be accounted for by induced transparency. Scattering from such droplets is subject to a transitional regime which is neither accounted for by optical Mie theory valid for R≫δ, where δ is the usual plasma skin depth, nor with the Rayleigh regime (R<δ≪λ). Instead the angular emission of the bunches is to a good approximation described by the nonlinear ponderomotive scattering model. Subsequently, the bunches are subject to further deflection by the ponderomotive pressure of the copropagating laser field in vacuum, depending on the initial droplet parameters. Final emission angles are estimated, together with the energy spectrum of the bunches.