A high-frequency surface plasma wave (SPW) excited over metallic surface irradiated by a laser beam, can undergo stimulated Compton scattering if phase velocity of daughter plasma wave is equal to the Fermi velocity for metal. The pump SPW ${\rm (}{{\rm \omega} _0},{\vec k_{0{\rm z}}})$ parametrically excites a quasi-electrostatic plasma wave ${\rm (\omega}, {\vec k_{\rm z}})$ and a backscattered sideband SPW ${\rm (}{{\rm \omega} _1},{\vec k_{1{\rm z}}})$ at resonance ω0 = ω − ω1 and ${\vec k_{0{\rm z}}} = {\vec k_{\rm z}} - {\vec k_{1{\rm z}}}$. The growth rate of Compton process increases with the frequency of incident laser and turns out to be 5.425 × 1010 rad/s at laser frequency ω0 = 0.7595 × 1015 rad/s for incident laser amplitude A0L = 11 × 1011 V/m, laser spot size b = 1.38 × 10−5 m, and free electron density of metal n0 = 5.85 × 1028/m3. The excitation of highly damped quasi-electrostatic plasma wave in this parametric process provide a better nonlinear option for surface heating as compared with direct laser heating. The process can also be used for diagnostics purposes.

By analytical modeling and numerical simulation, we show that surface modes in moderately overdense plasmas may be excited parametrically by an intense, ultrashort laser pulse. This process has a feedback effect on fast electron generation and may seed a fast distortion of plasma “moving mirrors.”