Experimental differential cross sections for multiphoton free-free transitions

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Abstract
The authors report quantitative measurements of multiphoton free-free transitions in a controlled three-beam experiment in which electrons are elastically scattered from argon in the presence of a CO2 laser pulse (8 W cm-2). The authors present data obtained with multimode and temporally smooth, single-longitudinal-mode pulses. They have measured the free-free differential cross sections as a function of laser intensity for the elastic process, the net emission and absorption of one photon and the net emission of two photons. These measurements, produced by a new technique, enable theory to be examined directly for the first time. Although the general shape of the cross sections can be compared with existing theoretical models, unexplained structure is observed.