The excitation of large-amplitude plasma waves by intense few-cycle
laser pulses in thin overdense plasma layers is studied using
one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. P-polarized
pulses generate relativistic electron pulses (jets) at the irradiated
surface that penetrate the layer and then oscillate back and forth due
to reflection by self-generated space charge fields building up in
front of the surfaces. Counterpropagating plasmons of large amplitude
are excited and start to emit radiation at 2ωp
and other harmonics of the plasma frequency. The analogy to type III
solar radio emission that is driven by electron bursts from deeper
layers of the solar corona is pointed out; it highlights the present
topic as another example of laboratory astrophysics with lasers.