Relativistic optics: A new route to attosecond physics and relativistic engineering

Abstract

The advent of ultraintense lasers capable of producing intensities such that laser-matter interaction is governed by the electron relativistic behavior is the gateway to a new type of nonlinear optics where the electron in the laser field has a relativistic character. In contrast to the nonrelativistic regime, the laser field is capable of moving matter much more effectively. Contrary to the bound electron optics, which is producing radiation typically in the eV range, relativistic optics is producing radiation and particles with much higher characteristic energies in the keV to the GeV. This energy is bound to go up when higher power will become available. Because these radiations/particles are produced over length of tens of micrometers, relativistic optics opens the field of relativistic microelectronics/photonics engineering. One of the unpredicted surprise is the possibility to produce attosecond pulses of radiations/particles efficiently and well synchronized with the laser pulse. This is opening the possibility to produce intensity at the level close to the Schwinger intensity thus getting access to the nonlinear QED regime. © 2007 Springer-Verlag New York.