The frontiers in ultrafast intense laser science are rapidly expanding thanks to the progress in ultrashort and high-power laser technologies, and the interd- ciplinary nature of this research ?eld is attracting researchers with di?erent expertise and backgrounds. As in the ?rst two volumes of PUILS, each chapter in the present volume, whose page length is in the range of 15 to 25 pages, begins with an int- duction in which clear and concise accounts of the signi?cance of the topics is described, followed by a description of the authors’ most recent research results. All chapters are peer-reviewed. The articles of this third volume cover a diverse range of the interdisciplinary research ?eld, and the topics may be grouped in ?ve categories: strong ?eld ionization of atoms (Chaps. 1–3), i- ization and fragmentation of molecules and clusters (Chaps. 4–8), generation of high-order harmonics and attosecond pulses (Chaps. 9–11), ?lamentation and laser plasma interaction (Chaps. 12–14), and the development of ult- short and ultrahigh-intensity light sources (Chap. 15). The PUILS series has been edited in liaison with the activities of the MEXT Priority Area Program on Control of Molecules in Intense Laser Fields (FY2002–2005), the JSPS Core-to-Core Program on Ultrafast Intense Laser Science (FY2004–), and JILS (Japan Intense Light Field Science Society). Starting with the present volume, JILS has become a sponsor organization for the PUILS series, taking on responsibility for its regular publication.
The PUILS series presents Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science. PUILS has been stimulated by the recent development of ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume contains approximately 15 chapters, authored by researchers at the forefront. Each chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers, who are not experts in the specific topics, as well as graduate students can grasp the importance and attractions of this sub-field of research, and these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This third volume covers a diverse range of disciplines, focusing on such topics as strong field ionization of atoms, ionization and fragmentation of molecules and clusters, generation of high-order harmonics and attosecond pulses, filamentation and laser plasma interaction, and the development of ultrashort and ultrahigh-intensity light sources.
