Peculiarities of the ionization of many-electron systems and generation of attosecond pulses in ultrashort laser fields

The ionization of a model two-electron atom in the field of a strong ultrashort laser pulse is studied by numerical integration of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation describing the dynamics of a quantum system in the field of an electromagnetic wave. Pecularities of the two-electron ionization are analyzed for pulses whose duration amounts to one to two periods of oscillation of the electric field of the wave at different frequencies of the incident radiation. For extremely short pulses, the double ionization is found to be suppressed. This effect is caused by the finiteness of the interelectron energy exchange time during the laser action. Peculiarities of the generation of high-order harmonics and single XUV attosecond pulses upon ionization of atoms by laser pulses, whose duration is within one to two optical cycles, are investigated.     

Tunneling and other modes of atomic ionization in the presence of strong few-cycle laser pulses and generation of attosecond pulses

Numerical integration of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation describing the dynamics of a quantum system in the presence of the electromagnetic wave field is employed to study atomic hydrogen ionization in the presence of an ultrashort laser pulse. It is demonstrated that, in the nonadiabatic mode, in the presence of a pulse with a duration of one or two optical cycles, the ionization probability is anomalously high in comparison with predictions based on the Keldysh ionization theory and various modifications of this theory. It is shown that the nonadiabatic and multiphoton modes of the atomic ionization in the presence of ultrashort laser pulses are superior to the low-frequency adiabatic mode in the effective generation of attosecond XUV pulses.     

Attosecond pulse generation from two-electron harmonic emission spectrum

In this paper, we theoretically investigate the high-order harmonic generation and attosecond pulse generation when a two-electron He atom is exposed to the intense laser pulse. It shows that due to the two-electron double recombination mechanism, an extended plateau beyond the classical single-electron harmonic has been obtained on the two-electron harmonic spectrum. Further by using this two-electron harmonic extension scheme combined with the two-color field, two supercontinuum bandwidths with 200 e V have been obtained. As a result, a series of sub-60 as extreme ultraviolet(XUV)pulses have been directly generated.     

Attosecond angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

We report experiments on the characterization of a train of attosecond pulses obtained by high-harmonic generation, using mixed-color (XUV+IR) atomic two-photon ionization and electron detection on a velocity map imaging detector. We demonstrate that the relative phase of the harmonics is encoded both in the photoelectron yield and the angular distribution as a function of XUV-IR time delay, thus making the technique suitable for the detection of single attosecond pulses. The timing of the attosecond pulse with respect to the field oscillation of the driving laser critically depends on the target gas used to generate the harmonics.     

阿秒脉冲测量的研究进展

对于发生在原子范围内的电子动力学过程的观测需要阿秒量级的时间分辨率.理论和实验研究都已证明,用周期量级超短脉冲直接泵浦的高次谐波过程可以产生阿秒脉冲序列甚至单个的阿秒脉冲,将阿秒脉冲用于测量超快动力学过程之前先要对阿秒脉冲本身性质做出描述,传统的自相关方法和互相关方法不能直接推广到阿秒量级超短脉冲的测量.文章详细介绍了近几年发展起来的阿秒脉冲测量方法,分析了它们的分辨极限和局限性.     

红外激光载波包络相位对氦原子的极紫外光(XUV)吸收谱的量子调控研究

本文通过数值求解双电子含时薛定谔方程, 研究了利用红外(IR)超短超强激光的载波包络相位(CEP)对氦(He)原子的极紫外光(Extreme Ultra-Violet, XUV)吸收谱进行量子调控的可能性. 当XUV作用到He原子上时, 原子存在两个电离通道: 无明显电子关联的直接电离和带强烈电子关联的间接电离(即通过双激发态自发电离). 两个通道相互干涉可在XUV吸收谱中形成人们所熟知的Fano共振线型, 并且谱线的形状由两个通道间的比例决定. 通过引入另外一束IR激光, 我们发现, 原子的XUV吸收谱将发生明显改变, 即伴随着超短脉冲CEP的改变而 呈现出从Fano线型到Lorentz线型的周期性连续变化. 上述结果表明, 通过合理地控制超短脉冲的CEP可以有效地调控两个电离通道之间的量子干涉, 进而为探测和操控原子中的极端超快电子关联提供可能.     

Dynamic Interference Photoelectron Spectra in Double Ionization:Numerical Simulation of 1D Helium

We report our numerical simulation on the dynamic interference photoelectron spectra for a one-dimensional(1D) He model exposed to intense ultrashort extreme ultraviolet(XUV) laser pulses.The results demonstrate an unambiguous interference feature in the photoelectron spectra,and the interference is unveiled to originate from the dynamic Stark effect.The interference photoelectron spectra are prompted for intense sub-femtosecond XUV laser pulses in double ionization.The stationary phase picture is corroborated qualitatively in the two-electron system.The ability of probing the dynamic Stark effect by the photoelectron spectra in a pragmatic experiment of single-photon double ionization of He may shed light on further investigation on multi-electron atoms and molecules.     

红外激光场中共振结构原子对极紫外光脉冲的压缩效应

通过数值求解一维原子的含时薛定谔方程, 研究了具有共振结构的原子在双色场(红外激光(IR)+极紫外光(XUV)) 驱动下发射高次谐波的特征. 研究结果表明, 具有共振结构的原子所发射的高次谐波与无共振结构原子(简称为一般原子)发射的高次谐波有明显不同, 共振结构的原子除了在某一能量附近(原子的共振能量+电离能)高次谐波的强度有很大提高外, 它还对XUV光的响应较一般原子表现得更为敏感, 即使XUV光的强度较弱, 也能够明显提高XUV光脉冲中心频率附近的谐波强度, 更重要的是通过调节双色场的时间延迟, 能使输入的XUV光的脉宽得到明显的压缩, 通过时间-频率分析给出了发生这种现象的原因. 由此提出了通过滤波-连续反馈的方式可使XUV光的脉冲从200 as压缩至120 as左右.     

High-order harmonics extension and isolated attosecond pulse generation in three-color field: Controlling factors

In the present Letter, we theoretically discuss the optimum conditions for generating ultrashort attosecond pulse in three-color field with a model He exposed to the intense 5 fs, 800 nm fundamental field and the two weak control fields of 25 fs, 400 nm and 25 fs, 1600 nm. Through investigating the controlling factors in HHG spectra generation via manipulating the laser parameters of the three fields, we demonstrate that properly increasing the pulse intensity of 800 nm and 1600 nm fields at the same time with zero phase effects is an effective way to generate short attosecond pulses. Finally, an isolated pulse of 7 as is predicted by Fourier transforming an ultrabroad XUV continuum of 393 eV with phase compensation.     

Coherent Control of High Harmonic Generation Driven by Metal Nanotip Photoemission

Steering ultrafast electron dynamics with well-controlled laser fields is very important for generation of intense supercontinuum radiation. It can be achieved through coherent control of the symmetry of the interaction between strong-field laser fields and a metal nanotip. We employ a scheme of two-color laser pulses combined with a weak static field to realize the control of a single quantum path to generate high harmonic generation from a single solid-state nanoemitter. Moreover, a smooth and ultrabroad supercontinuum in the extreme ultraviolet region is obtained, which can produce a single attosecond pulse. Our findings are beneficial for efficient generation of isolated sub-100 as XUV pulses from solid-state sources.     

传播效应对宽带极紫外连续谱的影响

宽带极紫外连续谱是获得阿秒脉冲的重要途径,在此过程中传播效应是影响宽带极紫外连续谱产生的重要因素,本文针对传播效应对宽带极紫外连续谱的影响,采用慢变波近似的一阶传播方程,研究了传播过程对双色场周期量级激光脉冲产生宽带连续谱及其对应的单个阿秒脉冲的影响.通过分析不同聚焦位置和介质长度的传播过程,发现介质位于焦点之后有利于产生连续谱,同时随着介质长度的变长,虽然单个阿秒脉冲峰值强度有所提高,但是产生的阿秒脉冲宽度也会增加.进一步的分析表明,在特定的双色场延迟优化下,传播效应不仅使得阿秒脉冲强度增强,还可以获得与单原子模型下具有同样脉宽的单个阿秒脉冲,而不会因为传播效应导致阿秒脉冲宽度变宽.     

Attosecond pulse extreme-ultraviolet photoionization in a two-color laser field

Attosecond-pulse extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) photoionization in a two-color laser field is investigated. Attosecond pulse trains with different numbers of pulses are examined, and their strong dependence on photoelectronic spectra is found. Single-color driving-laser-field-assisted attosecond XUV photoionization cannot determine the number of attosecond pulses from the photoelectronic energy spectrum that are detected orthogonally to the beam direction and the electric field vector of the linearly polarized laser field. A two-color-field-assisted XUV photoionization scheme is proposed for directly determining the number of attosecond pulses from a spectrum detected orthogonally.     

高次谐波产生阿秒极紫外和X光脉冲研究新进展

 近年来在可见光谱范围内已经把激光脉冲压缩到接近一个光学周期(2～3 fs)的物理极限,几fs的时间分辨精度可以描述分子化学反应过程,但是要探测远小于可见光周期的电子跃迁过程则需要阿秒(as)量级的光脉冲。利用脉冲间具有相同载波包络相位的阿秒脉冲序列能把可见光波段的光学频率梳向极紫外波段扩展;利用电子和离子碰撞复合过程短于一个光周期这个时间窗,通过测量激光场椭圆极化率对电子轨迹的微扰实现了as精度的分辨率;通过测量碰撞复合过程中的高能电子的辐射谱可以重构阿秒X光脉冲以及探测强场下束缚态和连续态电子动力学。     

Use of electron correlation to make attosecond measurements without attosecond pulses

We describe how correlations between electrons can be used to trace the dynamics of correlated two-electron ionization with attosecond precision, without using attosecond pulses. The approach is illustrated using the example of Auger or Coster-Kronig decay triggered by photoionization with an extreme ultraviolet pulse. It requires correlated measurements of angle-resolved energy spectra of both the photo- and Auger electrons in the presence of a laser pulse. To reconstruct the dynamics, we use not only classical time and energy correlation, but also entanglement between the two electrons.     

紧聚焦激光束作用于电子实现单个阿秒脉冲输出

研究了电子在聚焦的圆偏振高斯激光束中的非线性汤姆孙散射过程，在此基础上提出了实现单个阿秒脉冲输出的新机理.通过计算机模拟，发现利用紧聚焦的激光脉冲可以有效地增大辐射脉冲链的最高峰和次高峰的峰值强度比即信噪比，从而将阿秒脉冲链变为单个阿秒脉冲输出.紧聚焦情形下，随着驱动激光强度的增大，辐射信号的脉宽变短，信噪比变大；同时当减小激光束腰半径时，辐射信号信噪比也能得到有效改善.研究还发现，利用几个光周期的极短激光脉冲与电子的相互作用也能实现单个阿秒脉冲输出. 关键词： 阿秒脉冲 紧聚焦 信噪比     

Generation of high harmonics and attosecond pulses with ultrashort laser pulse filaments and conical waves

Results illustrating the nonlinear dynamics of ultrashort laser pulse filamentation in gases are presented, with particular emphasis on the filament properties useful for developing attosecond light sources. Two aspects of ultrashort pulse filaments are specifically discussed: (i) numerical simulation results on pulse self-compression by filamentation in a gas cell filled with noble gas. Measurements of high harmonics generated by the pulse extracted from the filament allows for the detection of intensity spikes and subcycle pulses generated within the filament. (ii) Simulation results on the spontaneous formation of conical wavepackets during filamentation in gases, which in turn can be used as efficient driving pulses for the generation of high harmonics and isolated attosecond pulses.     

Monitoring and controlling the electron dynamics in helium with isolated attosecond pulses

Helium atoms in the presence of extreme ultraviolet light pulses can lose electrons through direct photoionization or through two-electron excitation followed by autoionization. Here we demonstrate that, by combining attosecond extreme ultraviolet pulses with near infrared femtosecond lasers, electron dynamics in helium autoionization can be not only monitored but also controlled. Furthermore, the interference between the two ionization channels was modified by the intense near infrared laser pulse. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that double excitation and autoionization were studied experimentally by using isolated attosecond pulses.     

Enhancement and broadening of extreme-ultraviolet supercontinuum in a relative phase controlled two-color laser field

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) supercontinuum in argon with a two-color laser field consisting of an intense 7 fs pulse at 800 nm and a relatively weak 37 fs pulse at 400 nm. By controlling the relative time delay between the two laser pulses, we observe enhanced high-order harmonic generation as well as spectral broadening of the supercontinuum. A method to produce isolated attosecond pulses with variable width and intensity is proposed.     

Manifestation of attosecond XUV fields temporal structures in attosecond streaking spectrogram

The features of an attosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) field are encoded in the attosecond XUV spectrogram. We investigate the effect of the temporal structures of attosecond XUV fields on the attosecond streaking spectrogram. Factors such as the number of attosecond XUV pulses and the temporal chirp of attosecond XUV pulses are considered. Results indicate that unlike the attosecond streaking spectrogram for an attosecond XUV field with two pulses of a half-cycle separation of streaking field, the spectrogram for the attosecond XUV field with three pulses demonstrates fine spectral fringes in separated traces.