High-harmonic generation in cavitated plasmas

A method is proposed for producing coherent x-rays via high-harmonic generation using ultraintense lasers interacting with highly stripped ions in cavitated plasmas. This method relies on plasma cavitation by the wake of an intense drive beam (laser or electron beam) to produce an ion cavity. An ultrashort pulse laser propagating in the plasma-electron-free ion cavity generates laser harmonics. The longitudinal electron motion, which inhibits high-harmonic generation at high laser intensities, can be suppressed by the space-charge field in the ion cavity or by using a counterpropagating laser pulse. Periodic suppression of the longitudinal electron motion may also be used to quasi-phase-match. This method enables harmonic generation to be extended to the sub-A regime