2008/05/13 by P. Mulser, Mulser, P., D. Bauer +4
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Laser Design and Applications #Laser Material Processing Techniques #Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0805.1815
5 pages, ReVTeX
arxiv created 2008/05/13 · openalex publication_date 2008/05/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Two decades after the invention of chirped pulse amplification the physical mechanism of collisionless absorption of intense laser radiation in overdense matter is still not sufficiently well understood. We show that anharmonic resonance in the self-generated plasma potential of the single plasma layers (cold plasma model) or of the individual electrons (warm plasma), respectively, constitutes the leading physical mechanism of collisionless absorption in an overdense plasma. Analogously to collisions, resonance provides for the finite phase shift of the free electron current relative to the driving laser field which is compulsory for energy transfer from the laser beam to any medium. An efficient new scenario of wave breaking is also indicated.