Complete characterization of weak ultra-short near-UV pulses by spectral interferometry

We present a method for a complete characterization of a femtosecond ultraviolet pulse when a fundamental near-infrared beam is also available. Our approach relies on generation of the second harmonic from the pre-characterized fundamental, which serves as a reference against which an unknown pulse is measured using spectral interferometry (SI). The characterization apparatus is a modified second harmonic frequency resolved optical gating setup which additionally allows for taking SI spectra. The presented method is linear in the unknown field, simple and sensitive. We checked its accuracy using test pulses generated in a thick nonlinear crystal, demonstrating the ability to measure the phase in a broad spectral range, down to 0.1% peak spectral intensity as well as retrieving π leaps in the spectral phase. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re     

Femtosecond laser pulses measured with a photodiode – FROG revisited

We demonstrate complete characterization of a femtosecond laser pulse electric field amplitude and phase using a FROG setup with a thick second harmonic crystal and a photodiode replacing a spectrometer. The scheme we propose is intended for high-repetition-rate pulse trains. It takes advantage of the photodiode high dynamic range and can be implemented in a compact size. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re     

Tunable light sources based on high harmonics generation for time-resolved VUV spectroscopy

The project of set-up for time resolved femtosecond VUV spectroscopy, which is based on a high harmonic generation source and a VUV monochromator is presented. We discuss the generation conditions of quasi-continuous VUV spectrum via HHG in Ar using the intense chirped IR fundamental pulse and the relatively weak second harmonic of IR fundamental. The desired narrow VUV spectral range is selected by time compensated double monochromator with concave spherical diffraction gratings. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.79.Dj; 78.47.+p; 39.30.+w     

Compression of harmonic pulses by using material dispersion

We utilize the dispersion property of an X-ray filter material for the generation of a single sub-50-as pulse from high-order harmonics. The attosecond pulse, formed by selecting the spectral range of high-order harmonic radiation, contains an intrinsic chirp corresponding to the quadratic phase variation during a half cycle of a laser pulse. We show that this chirp can be compensated by using the negative group-delay dispersion of a thin X-ray filter, compressing the attosecond pulse down to sub-50-as. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.50.Hz; 42.65.Ky     

Use of nonlinear properties of intracavity type II second harmonic generation for image processing

We discuss the use of intracavity type-II second harmonic generation for all-optical processing of images. Injecting an image in a pump beam linearly polarized and a homogeneous field in the orthogonally polarized pump, it is possible to magnify the contrast and to recognize the contour of any part of the image whose intensity is above a tunable reference level. This can be done using ideal planar cavities where all the fields are resonant as well as in the more realistic situation where only the fundamental fields are resonant and using cavities with spherical mirrors. PACS 42.30.-d; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Pc     

Time-resolved measurements of high order harmonics confined by polarization gating

We investigate the temporal confinement of high order harmonic pulses generated by a femtosecond (fs) infrared (IR) pulse with a time varying polarization. We use a set of two birefringent quartz plates to modulate the IR polarization. It produces a short temporal gate of linear polarization where harmonics are efficiently generated during a small fraction of the IR pulse. By rotating one of the plates, the gate width can be continuously varied between 70 fs down to 7 fs. The XUV pulse duration is measured by cross-correlation with a probe IR pulse of 12 fs. When the gate width is decreased, a clear temporal confinement of the XUV emission is observed through the cross correlation signal. This experiment is the first direct experimental evidence in the temporal domain that the polarization gating technique can be used to significantly shorten the harmonic pulse duration. PACS 32.80.Wr; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re     

Coherent control of high-order harmonics generated with intense femtosecond laser pulses

Experimental results and theoretical analysis on the coherent control of high-order harmonics with chirped femtosecond laser pulses are presented. The coherent control of high-order harmonic generation resulted in sharp harmonic spectra by compensating for induced harmonic chirp with the control of applied laser chirp and it was found to be crucial also in producing sharp and bright harmonics.Received: 18 November 2002, Published online: 8 July 2003PACS: 42.65.Ky Frequency conversion; harmonic generation, including higher-order harmonic generation - 32.80.-t Photon interactions with atoms - 42.65.Re Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression     

Enhanced photoemission and ionization of He+ by simultaneous irradiation of fundamental laser and high-order harmonic pulses

We simulate the response of He⁺ exposed simultaneously to fundamental and 27th harmonic pulses from an intense Ti:sapphire laser. High-order harmonic emission from He⁺ is enhanced by 17 orders of magnitude compared with the case of the fundamental pulse alone. Moreover, while an individual 10 fs laser with a fundamental wavelength of 800 nm and a peak intensity of 3×10¹⁴ W/cm², or its 27th harmonic pulse with a peak intensity of 10¹³ W/cm², ionizes no more than 5×10^-6 of He⁺, their combined pulses lead to a surprisingly high He²⁺ yield of 17%. The underlying mechanism is either harmonic generation from a coherent superposition of states or two-color frequency mixing, depending on the laser wavelength. PACS 32.80.Rm; 42.50.Hz; 42.65.Ky     

Ultrabroadband continuum generated in air (down to 230 nm) using ultrashort and intense laser pulses

We present results on supercontinuum generation extended up to 230 nm in air during the propagation of a powerful femtosecond laser pulse. The broad supercontinuum generated in air is contributed by self-phase modulation and self-steepening of the fundamental laser pulse, the third-harmonic pulse and their interaction. In particular, the strong interaction between the fundamental and the third-harmonic pulses leads to broad and efficient continuum generation of the third-harmonic pulse itself. The spectrum of the third-harmonic generated in air extends over several tens of nm and overlaps with the shorter wavelength extent of the fundamental continuum. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Jx; 52.35.Mw     

Efficient high-order harmonic generation in a two-color laser field

We report efficient high-order harmonic generation achieved using a two-color laser field. By inserting a second-harmonic generation crystal in the path of a converging laser pulse, the overall efficiency for high-harmonic generation was enhanced by more than an order of magnitude. In addition, even-order harmonics were also generated. The 2(2n+1)th -order harmonics were very strong and, in particular, the 38th harmonic (21.6 nm), obtained with a single laser shot of 2 mJ, saturated the X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) of an extreme-ultraviolet spectrometer even with an Al filter of 1.5 m thickness installed in front of the CCD. PACS 42.65.Ky; 32.80.-t; 42.65.Re     

Resonant third harmonic generation of a short pulse laser in plasma by applying a wiggler magnetic field

We examine the effect of wiggler magnetic field on pulse slippage of short pulse laser-induced third harmonic generation in plasma. The process of third harmonic generation of an intense short pulse laser in plasma is resonantly enhanced by the application of a magnetic wiggler. The laser exerts a ponderomotive force at second harmonic driving density oscillations. The second harmonic oscillations coupled with electron velocity at the laser frequency, produces a non-linear current, driving the third harmonic. Third harmonic pulse generates in the fundamental pulse domain. However, the group velocity of the third harmonic wave is greater than the fundamental wave. Hence, the third harmonic pulse saturates strongly and moves forward from the fundamental pulse at shorter distance than the second harmonic pulse.     

Time-frequency characterization of high-order harmonic pulses

We present energy-resolved cross-correlation measurements of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses generated as high harmonics of femtosecond pulses from a 1 kHz titanium-sapphire laser. The harmonic pulses are probed by a fraction of the fundamental laser pulse at 800 nm, in a noncollinear geometry, allowing us to vary independently the parameters of the harmonic pump and near-infrared probe pulses. We measure the so-called sidebands in the photoelectron spectrum of argon corresponding to the absorption of a harmonic photon plus or minus one probe photon. Spectrally resolving the cross-correlation signal allows us to characterize the time-dependent frequency of the XUV pulse.Received: 20 December 2002, Published online: 24 April 2003PACS: 42.65.Ky Harmonic generation, frequency conversion     

采用较长脉宽双色场获得孤立阿秒脉冲

通过数值求解一维含时薛定谔方程,本文研究了具有较长脉宽双色激光脉冲与氢原子模型相互作用产生的谐波辐射谱.研究发现,当采用12个光学周期的特定组合脉冲时,孤立阿秒脉冲可以实现.这里特定组合脉冲由两束类似频率脉冲(ω,ω+δω)构成,附加脉冲的作用恰是调整基频光电场的形状.不同于入射基频光,整形后的基频光在时间始末端电场振幅被抑制,只有中间部分电场对谐波谱有贡献,它的作用等同于单一6飞秒超短脉冲的效果.从而扩展获得孤立阿秒脉冲所需脉宽从6飞秒到12飞秒.     

采用较长脉宽双色场获得孤立阿秒脉冲（第15届全国原子与分子物理会议）

通过数值求解一维含时薛定谔方程,本文研究了具有较长脉宽双色激光脉冲与氢原子模型相互作用产生的谐波辐射谱。研究发现,当采用12个光学周期的特定组合脉冲时,孤立阿秒脉冲可以实现。这里特定组合脉冲由两束类似频率脉冲( )构成,附加脉冲的作用恰是调整基频光电场的形状。不同于入射基频光,整形后的基频光在时间始末端电场振幅被抑制,只有中间部分电场对谐波谱有贡献,它的作用等同于单一6飞秒超短脉冲的效果。从而扩展获得孤立阿秒脉冲所需脉宽从6飞秒到12飞秒。     

All-optical stabilization of carrier-envelope phase by use of difference frequency generation with seeded amplification of colored conical emission

We stabilized the carrier-envelope phase of pulses emitted by a femtosecond regenerative amplifier through difference frequency generation between pump and seeded amplification of colored conical emission. Seeded amplification of colored conical emission was induced by modulational instability in the second harmonic generation with a supercontinuum injected and amplified. As a consequence, it inherited the origin phase of the pump pulse. After difference frequency with the pump pulses, the generated tunable idler pulses were carrier-envelope phase stabilized, which was verified with a simple and robust spectral interference setup. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.Yj; 42.25.Kb     

Pulse Slippage of Resonant Third Harmonic Generation in Electron-Hole Plasma

Effect of pulse slippage on resonant third harmonic generation of a short pulse laser in electron-hole plasma in the presence of wiggler magnetic field has been investigated. The group velocity mismatch of the third harmonic pulse and the fundamental pulse is significant in electron hole plasma. As the third harmonic pulse has higher group velocity than that of fundamental pulse, therefore, it moves faster than the fundamental pulse. It gets slipped out of the domain of fundamental pulse and its amplitude saturates. Phase matching condition is satisfied by applying wiggler magnetic field,which provides additional angular momentum to the third harmonic photon to make the process resonant. Enhancement in the efficiency of third harmonic generation of an intense short pulse laser in electron-hole plasma embedded with a magnetic wiggler is seen.     

Extending optical fs metrology to XUV attosecond pulses

We report on the progress towards a 2nd-order autocorrelation measurement of a coherent superposition of the 7th to the 15th harmonic of the fundamental frequency of the Ti : Sapphire laser. The two-photon ionization of He atoms was investigated and found to be an appropriate non-linear detector. In addition, the technique of volume autocorrelation based on a split mirror wavefront divider was analysed and shown to exhibit adequate degree of modulation. Moreover, the approach presented opens up the path to XUV-pump XUV-probe type of temporal studies of ultrafast processes with a sub-fs temporal resolution. PACS 42.60.By; 42.65.Re; 42.65.Ky     

Four-wave mixing with non-resonant pump and resonant probe for OH detection in flames

We report a new long-term interferometric stabilization scheme for a delay line to be used for pump–probe spectroscopy on the attosecond time scale. A separate interferometer with a He–Ne laser beam is used to stabilize the delay line with respect to a slow drift in the optical delay induced mainly by ambient temperature changes in the laboratory. The power of the stabilization scheme is demonstrated with the characterization of an attosecond pulse train in the extreme ultraviolet formed through high order harmonic generation of Ti:sapphire laser radiation. We use the RABBITT technique for the attosecond pulse-train characterization in a reaction microscope employed here for photoelectron–photoion-coincidence spectroscopy. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re; 07.60.Ly; 07.81.+a; 32.80.Fb     

使用多色合成激光场拓展高次谐波谱平台区域的宽度

本文提出了一种多色合成激光方案用来有效的提高高次谐波谱平台区域的宽度. 我们首先通过在800nm基本激光脉冲上添加一束或者两束控制激光脉冲在理论上得到双色以及三色合成激光场;其次,通过求解一维含时薛定谔方程,计算得到了在多色合成激光场条件下的高次谐波谱,计算结果表明,多色合成激光场方案可以有效的拓展高次谐波谱的平台区域;最后,我们结合电子的经典回碰动能分布以及时频分布,分析了在多色场条件下高次谐波谱平台区域拓宽的机理和微观机制.     

使用多色合成激光场拓展高次谐波谱平台区域的宽度

本文提出了一种多色合成激光方案用来有效的提高高次谐波谱平台区域的宽度. 我们首先通过在800nm基本激光脉冲上添加一束或者两束控制激光脉冲在理论上得到双色以及三色合成激光场;其次,通过求解一维含时薛定谔方程,计算得到了在多色合成激光场条件下的高次谐波谱,计算结果表明,多色合成激光场方案可以有效的拓展高次谐波谱的平台区域;最后,我们结合电子的经典回碰动能分布以及时频分布,分析了在多色场条件下高次谐波谱平台区域拓宽的机理和微观机制.