title: High-order harmonic generation by nonlinear reflection of an intense high-contrast laser pulse on a plasma.
abstract: We demonstrate the use of a plasma mirror to obtain 60-fs 10-TW laser pulses with a temporal contrast of 10(8) on a nanosecond time scale and 10(6) on a picosecond time scale, and we use these high-contrast pulses to generate high harmonics by nonlinear reflection on a plasma with a steep electronic density gradient. Well-collimated harmonics up to 20th order are observed for a laser intensity of approximately equal to 3 x 10(17) W/cm2, whereas no harmonics are obtained without the plasma mirror.
authors.affiliation: Service des Photons, Atomes et Molécules, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monot
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doumy
authors.forename: Sundrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobosz
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perdrix
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Oliveira
authors.forename: Fabion
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quéré
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Réau
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Audebert
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Geindre