title: Sub GV/cm terahertz radiation from relativistic laser-solid interactions via coherent transition radiation.
abstract: Broadband terahertz (THz) radiation with extremely high peak power, generated by the interaction of a femtosecond laser with a thin solid target, has been investigated via particle-in-cell simulations. The spatial (angular) and temporal profiles of the THz radiation reveal that it is caused by the coherent transition radiation emitted when laser-produced hot electrons pass through the front or rear surface of the target. Dependence of the THz radiation on laser and target parameters is studied; it is shown to have a strong correlation with hot electron production. The THz radiation conversion efficiency can be as high as a few times 10^{-3}. This radiation is not only a potentially high power THz source, but may also be used as a unique diagnostic of hot electron generation and transport in relativistic laser-solid interactions.
authors.affiliation: A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore 138632.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom.|Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Sheng