Temporal and Spectral Characteristics of the Radiation Generated by an Electron Driven by a Relativistically Intense Laser Field

The electron dynamics and radiation emission in the field of a relativistically intense laser pulse is studied. The electron motions induced by a focused laser beam are described on the basis of the Newton equation with the Lorentz force. The radiation emitted by the electron comprises a set of electromagnetic pulses having durations much shorter than the optical cycle. For a femtosecond driving laser pulse with duration of several optical cycles, durations of pulses emitted by the accelerated electron belong to the zeptosecond range. The spectral width of radiation emitted by the electron depends on durations of emitted pulses. The electron emits a modulated spectrum in the case of the linearly polarized driving pulse (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)