Abstract

Subpicosecond ultraviolet laser technology¹ permits the exploration of nonlinear atomic interactions up to electric field strengths far in excess of an atomic unit $\left({\text{e/a}}_{\text{o}}^2\right)$. Currently, peak intensities in the range of 10¹⁶ to 10¹⁷ W/cm have been produced with pulses having a duration of a few picoseconds at a wavelength of 193 nm. At this intensity, the electric field E_o is comparable to an atomic unit. Furthermore, it has been shown that technical advances in femtosecond² ultraviolet laser technology will enable peak intensities, for coherent energy, to be produced in the range of 10²⁰ - 10²¹ W/cm². This would represent a radiation field amplitude of about 100E_o and, in terms of energy density, would be equivalent to that produced by a black-body with a temperature close to 10 keV, an environment characteristic of thermonuclear sources.

© 1986 Optical Society of America