This book represents the first comprehensive treatment of the subject, covering the theoretical principles, present experimental status and important applications of short-pulse laser-matter interactions.
1Introduction : historical background12Interaction with single atoms173Interaction with single electrons314Laser propagation in underdense plasmas555Interaction with solids : overdense plasmas1276Numerical simulation of short pulse laser interactions2157Applications of short-pulse laser-matter interactions243AppSlowly varying envelope approximation