Formation of an electron beam with a duration shorter than 100 fs during photoemission of electrons by femtosecond laser pulses

Irradiation of a thin metal target by 38-fs laser pulses at a wavelength of 800 nm is shown to generate a beam of photoelectrons that contains a component whose duration is shorter than 100 fs. The ensemble of photoelectrons is formed by photoemission of a gold film about 10 nm thick sputtered on the base of a prism made of fused silica. The laser beam irradiates a dielectric-metal interface and propagates inside the prism at an angle of 45° to a normal to the interface. The photoelectron beam is formed by accelerating photoelectrons in a spatially inhomogeneous electrostatic potential. The ultrashort component of the photoelectron beam is found to be formed under the action of a ponderomotive potential. It is shown that the ultrashort electron component can be separated from the remaining part of the photoelectron beam with the help of an inhomogeneous electrostatic field.