Route to intense single attosecond pulses

A feasibility study is presented for the generation of single attosecond pulses using harmonics produced by planar targets irradiated at high intensities. The investigation focuses on the interaction of a few-optical cycles, carrier-envelope phase controlled, near-infrared laser pulse with an overdense plasma. The results obtained using an one-dimensional particle-in-cell code indicate that at laser intensities of 1020 W cm−2 a single sub-fs pulse can be generated in the 20–70 eV spectral range with an efficiency of a few per cent and with 10−3 to 10−4 for higher photon energies.