  We present theoretical studies of above threshold ionization (ATI) produced
by spatially inhomogeneous fields. This kind of field appears as a result of
the illumination of plasmonic nanostructures and metal nanoparticles with a
short laser pulse. We use the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation (TDSE) in
reduced dimensions to understand and characterize the ATI features in these
fields. It is demonstrated that the inhomogeneity of the laser electric field
plays an important role in the ATI process and it produces appreciable
modifications to the energy-resolved photoelectron spectra. In fact, our
numerical simulations reveal that high energy electrons can be generated.
Specifically, using a linear approximation for the spatial dependence of the
enhanced plasmonic field and with a near infrared laser with intensities in the
mid- 10^{14} W/cm^{2} range, we show it is possible to drive electrons with
energies in the near-keV regime. Furthermore, we study how the carrier envelope
phase influences the emission of ATI photoelectrons for few-cycle pulses. Our
quantum mechanical calculations are supported by their classical counterparts.
