Controlling the motion of strong-field, few-cycle photoemitted electrons in the near-field of a sharp metal tip

The real-time probing of electron motion in solid nanostructures or the visualization of nanoplasmonic field dynamics may come into reach using electron pulses generated by strongfield tunneling from sharp gold tips irradiated by few-cycle laser pulses. The acceleration of the ultrashort electron wavepackets in the near field of the sharp gold tips introduces new possibilities of steering and control of electron wavepackets by light, which is expected to pave the way towards such ultrafast probing. Here we discuss the motion of these highly accelerated electrons in the near-field and demonstrate how the carrier-envelope phase admits a new control mechanism for their motion. © 2014 OSA.