Intense Circularly Polarized Attosecond Pulse Generation From Solid Targets Irradiated With A Two-Color Linearly Polarized Laser

A method for the production of intense circularly polarized (CP) attosecond pulses from relativistic laser-solid interactions is proposed, where a two-color linearly polarized (LP) laser is used. The polarization, photon frequency, and other properties of the obtained attosecond pulse can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of the dichromatic driving LP field in different harmonics, which is much easier and more efficient than those previously using CP driving lasers. Both one- and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that a CP attosecond extreme-ultraviolet pulse with an intensity of 1.4 x 10(19) W/cm(2) and a duration of about 120 as is obtained by a two-color LP laser at intensities in the fundamental and second harmonics of, respectively, 1.5 x 10(22) and 6.4 x 10(21) W/cm(2), which can be applied for the detection of the magnetic and chiral properties of materials.