Inverse-bremsstrahlung electron acceleration

A single-particle computation, simple analysis, and a particle simulation show that energy gain of an electron in a vacuum is possible using a laser and with a weak perpendicular static electric field (${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{app}}$). This simple system does not need any structure to accelerate the electron. If ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{app}}$=0 an electron will just oscillate, with no net acceleration because of the symmetry of the laser’s electromagnetic wave in space and time. The static electric field breaks the symmetry of the wave so that the a electron is accelerated in both half wavelengths of the wave.