  We demonstrate that electrons can be efficiently accelerated to high energy
in spatially non-uniform, intense laser fields. Laser non-uniformities occur
when a perfect plane wave reflects off a randomly perturbed surface. By solving
for three-dimensional particle trajectories in the electromagnetic field of a
randomly perturbed laser, we are able to generate electron energy spectra with
temperatures well above the ponderomotive scaling, as observed in many
experiments. The simulations show that high electron energies can be achieved
by the laser fields alone, without the need for plasma fields. The
characteristic temperatures of the electron spectra are determined by the
characteristic features of the laser field turbulence. The process is very
rapid, occurring on 10-50fs timescales, indicating it is likely a dominant
acceleration mechanism in short-pulse laser-solid interactions when the
intensity is at or below the relativistic threshold. A simple analytic model
shows how electrons can reach high energy by undergoing repeated acceleration
in laser wavelets for short periods of time.
