Plateau effects in the spectra of electrons scattered from atoms in a strong laser field

An exact quantum solution of the problem of electron scattering from a short-range potential in the presence of a strong elliptically polarized laser field is obtained. The differential scattering cross section as a function of the number of absorbed (or emitted) photons exhibits a plateau caused by the rescattering of electrons from the scattering center. Numerical results for a linearly polarized laser field are presented, and it is shown that the plateau boundaries agree well with classical estimates.