Abstract

At intensities in excess of 10¹³ W/cm² harmonic generation in gases deviates significantly from perturbation theory predictions. This nonperturbative behavior is most distinctly characterized by the formation of a plateau where the harmonic intensity is constant for many orders.^1,2 An extended plateau provides short pulse, fully coherent light well into the soft x-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Consequently, harmonic generation in gases shows promise as a new, compact source of short-pulse, coherent x-rays for application in other fields.

© 1992 The Author(s)