Intensity dependent anomalous transmittivity of thin plasma layers

For some time now anomalous transparency induced by high intensity laser light interacting with thin solid foils has been found experimentally [1] and several theoretical models have been suggested to explain this phenomena [2, 3]. In our present study based mostly on classical electrodynamics the increase of the transmittivity is the consequence of the more and more pronounced role of the frustrated total reflection in the plasma layer.We give a detailed analysis of the effect of the electron temperature of the plasma and of the angle of incidence of the laser light on the transmittivity. (© 2004 by HMS Consultants. Inc. Published exclusively by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.KGaA)