Efficient output coupling of intracavity high-harmonic generation

We demonstrate a novel technique for coupling extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) harmonic radiation out of a femtosecond enhancement cavity. We use a small-period diffraction grating etched directly into the surface of a dielectric mirror. For the fundamental light, this element acts as a high reflector. For harmonic wavelengths, it acts as a diffraction grating, coupling XUV radiation out of the cavity. Using this method, we observed the third through twenty-first odd harmonics with a dramatic increase in usable power over previous results of high-harmonic generation at high repetition rates.     

Generation of an extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum with a multicycle chirped laser and a static electric field

We theoretically present a method for generating an ultrabroad extreme ultraviolet(XUV) supercontinuum by using the combination of a multicycle chirped laser and a static electric field.At a low laser intensity,the spectral cutoff is extended to the 495th order harmonic,and the bandwidth of the supercontinuum spectrum is broadened to 535 eV.At a high laser intensity,the harmonic cutoff is enlarged to the 667th order,and a supercontinuum covering a bandwidth of 1035 eV is generated.In these two cases,the long quantum path is removed,and the short quantum path is selected.Especially for the relatively high laser intensity,an isolated 23-attosecond pulse with a bandwidth of about 170.6 eV is directly obtained.Finally,we also analyze the influences of the chirp parameter and the duration of the chirped pulse as well as the static field strength on the supercontinuum.     

Kilohertz extreme-ultraviolet light source based on femtosecond high-order harmonic generation from noble gases

A compact, versatile table-top kilohertz source of coherent extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) radiation in the wavelength region 18–100 nm, based on high-order harmonic generation from noble gases induced by a 40-femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser system, is presented. The XUV beamline delivers at its output 10⁸ photons/s at a wavelength of 23 nm. The monochromatized XUV radiation is directly focused onto a 10^-2-mm² spot by a toroidal grating, allowing one to reach intensities higher than 10⁶ W/cm². Optimization results are presented for a new XUV-generating geometry, utilizing a ‘semi-infinite’ quasi-static gas cell and strong focusing. In those conditions, we observe an anomalous inversion between the cutoffs of argon and krypton, with the krypton spectrum extending to much higher orders than expected in an adiabatic limit. Received: 9 July 2001 / Revised version: 1 August 2001 / Published online: 7 November 2001     

等离子体光栅靶的表面粗糙度对高次谐波产生的影响

极紫外光和软X射线由于其波长和脉冲持续时间极短,可用于超快物理过程和物质微观结构的探测.最近几年,研究人员发现激光和等离子体相互作用可以产生持续时间极短(阿秒)且相干性较好的高次谐波辐射,其波长可接近甚至达到水窗波段.然而,实验研究指出,理论上应出现的一些谐波在实验中并没有出现.本文针对超短超强激光与非理想条件下的等离子体光栅靶相互作用产生高次谐波的物理过程进行了理论分析和粒子模拟.研究结果表明,等离子体光栅的周期性结构对于高次谐波的频谱和辐射角分布存在显著调制效果.光栅靶表面粗糙度直接影响光栅的光学调制效果,改变高次谐波的频谱分布和辐射角分布.理想光栅条件下,满足光栅匹配条件的特定阶数谐波明显获得增强,且辐射张角集中在平行靶面的方向.靶表面粗糙度的出现,导致光栅匹配条件失效,高次谐波能量向各阶分散且辐射张角逐渐偏离靶表面方向.研究结果较好地解释了实验中观测到的谐波频谱分布,为进一步的研究提供了一定参考.     

Optical coherence tomography using broad-bandwidth XUV and soft X-ray radiation

We present a novel approach to extend optical coherence tomography (OCT) to the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) spectral range. With a simple setup based on Fourier-domain OCT and adapted for the application of XUV and SXR broadband radiation, cross-sectional images of semiconductors and organic samples becomes feasible with current synchrotron or laser-plasma sources. For this purpose, broadband XUV radiation is focused onto the sample surface, and the reflected spectrum is recorded by an XUV spectrometer. The proposed method has the particular advantage that the axial spatial resolution only depends on the spectral bandwidth. As a consequence, the theoretical resolution limit of XUV coherence tomography (XCT) is in the order of nanometers, e.g., 3 nm for wavelengths in the water window (280–530 eV). We proved the concept of XCT by calculating the reflectivity of one-dimensional silicon and boron carbide samples containing buried layers and found the expected properties with respect to resolution and penetration depth confirmed.     

Generation of short-pulse VUV and XUV radiation

Starting from intense short-pulse KrF (248 nm, 25 mJ, 400 fs), ArF (193 nm, 10 mJ, 1 ps), and Ti:sapphire (810 nm, 100 mJ, 150 fs) laser systems, schemes for the generation of fixed-frequency and tunable VUV and XUV radiation by nonlinear optical techniques are investigated. With the KrF system, a four-wave mixing process in xenon yields tunable radiation in the range of 130–200 nm with output energies of, so far, 100 J in less than 1 ps. For the XUV spectral range below 100 nm, nonperturbative high-order harmonic generation and frequency mixing processes in noble gas jets are considered. To achieve tunability, the intense fixed-frequency pump laser radiation is mixed with less intense but broadly tunable radiation from short-pulse dye lasers or optical parametric generator-amplifier systems. In this way, tunability down to wavelengths of less than 40 nm has been demonstrated.     

Two-wavelength self-seeded pulsed tunable laser

A compact self-seeded pulsed tunable laser is described. Its optical cavity comprises a diffraction grating, operating at a grazing angle of incidence as a spectral selector and narrow-band spectral gate. The grating couples two partially overlapping laser channels: a highly selective master laser and a nonselective slave laser. Due to the implemented efficient intracavity self-seeding the laser emits spectrally pure single-longitudinal-mode radiation at two independently tunable wavelengths, with an efficiency and output energy that are typical for nonselective lasers. Results of the experimental investigation of the laser’s output characteristics are presented. Received: 12 March 2001 / Revised version: 10 December 2001 / Published online: 7 February 2002     

Observation of subterahertz monochromatic transition radiation from a grating

Transition radiation appearing when a charged particle crosses the interface between two media with different dielectric constants, e.g., a metal–vacuum interface, has been well studied in a wide spectral range. However, primarily, radiation from smooth interfaces has been studied. Transition radiation from conducting gratings (grating transition radiation) is experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed in this work. In this case, it is possible to obtain monochromatic radiation with a tunable frequency depending on the rotation angle of the grating with respect to the electron momentum. Coherent grating transition radiation can be efficiently used as a source of terahertz radiation based on the use of a compact electron accelerator with an energy below 10 MeV and a bunch duration of ≤1 ps.     

Intense XUV emission generated by a capillary discharge based apparatus

We present the characterization of an apparatus generating XUV radiation by a high peak value (20–40) kA and short rise time (≈ 20 ns) current pulse in a capillary discharge channel (up to 20 cm in length) filled by argon gas. The apparatus has been developed with the purpose of production of an intensive spontaneous emission in the spectral region of (2–50) nm and study of the z-pinch conditions for obtaining the laser generation in the Nelike Ar at 46.9 nm. The current pulses are generated by the direct discharge of a 7 nF water dielectric capacitor resonantly charged up to 400 kV by a six-stages Marx generator. The XUV radiation emitted during the radial compression of the plasma column is measured using calibrated PIN diodes, filters and multilayer mirrors in order to test the z-pinch plasma collapse and to measure the conversion efficiency of the electrical energy into the XUV radiation. This work is supported by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics and in part by the Italian National Institute of Matter Physics.     

Generation of the wavelength-tunable XUV pulse using the two-color and three-color infrared pulses

We present an efficient method to generate an ultrashort wavelength-tunable XUV pulse by using the harmonic selec- tive enhancement scheme. The results show that by properly controlling the delay times of a two-color field or a three-color field, selective enhancement of the harmonics with photon energies between 80 eV and 315 eV can be obtained. Fur- ther, a wavelength-tunable and bandwidth-controllable XUV radiation can be obtained by Fourier transformation of these enhanced harmonics.     

An integrated optical system for the vacuum ultraviolet region

We use a 0.5 m Seya-Namioka monochromator and two gold plated cylindrical mirrors to set up an optical system which produces a collimated beam of plane polarized, monochromatic radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet region. The two mirrors compensate for the astigmatism of the Seya-Namioka monochromator, thereby increasing the spectral resolution drastically. The degree of linear polarization is about 0.97–1.00 in the spectral region of 6–11.5 eV.     

Generation of high-order harmonic continuum with two-hump-structure infrared laser pulse

We experimentally investigate the high-order harmonic generation in argon gas cell driven by a multi-cycle broadband infrared laser pulse from a tunable optical-parametric-amplifier （OPA） source. The generation of high-order harmonic continuum with the cut-off photon energy up to 110 eV is observed by tuning the chirp of the 800-nm laser pulse which pumps OPA source. The generation of harmonic continuum is understood in terms of the two-hump structure of the OPA output spectrum and the optimal relative phase of the two humps. The demonstrated scheme is of importance for the generation of extreme ultraviolet （XUV） continuum at higher photon energy region.     

Molecular gases as a source of coherent,tunable XUV radiation

Coherent and broadly tunable over 3500 cm^-1 extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from 935 to 967 Å has been generated by frequency tripling the second harmonic output of a rhodamine 590 pulsed dye laser in molecular nitrogen and carbon monoxide. The scheme exploits high lying Rydberg and valence states of these gases and leads to the production of about 5 × 10⁹ XUV photons per pulse corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 5 × 10^-6.     

Atomic spectral detection of tunable extreme ultraviolet pulses

A novel method of detecting the spectral width and wavelength of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses with a minimum number of experimental tools is demonstrated. The method relies on the photoionization probability of an atom as a function of the electric field. A tunable laser source in the XUV is used that is based on higher-harmonic generation of the frequency-doubled output of a 50-fs Ti:sapphire laser. The bandwidth and the wavelength of the seventh harmonic (~57nm) are detected with Ne, and the resolving power is lambda/Dlambda=10(5).     

基于傅里叶光学原理的新型凹面光栅衍射效率测量方法

凹面衍射光栅兼具色散分光与光束聚焦功能,同时具有像差校正、低杂散光、无鬼线和高信噪比等优势而受到光谱仪器领域的广泛关注。衍射效率作为凹面光栅最重要的技术指标之一,其测量技术水平逐渐成为光谱仪器行业最为关注的课题之一。传统方法一般采用双单色仪结构实现凹面光栅衍射效率的测量,该方法主要存在两方面问题,一是测量标准反射镜和待测光栅的出射光谱带宽不同,二是光栅叠级、杂散光的影响;上述问题的存在降低了高性能凹面光栅衍射效率测量的准确性。本文提出了一种基于傅里叶光学原理测量凹面光栅衍射效率的新方法;针对该方法建立了凹面光栅衍射效率测量的数学模型,并采用光学追迹和傅里叶光学方法相结合对其进行了仿真分析,从而验证了该方法的正确性;针对动镜横移误差、倾斜误差、光源稳定性、动镜运动距离误差等因素影响凹面光栅衍射效率测量精度的问题,提出引入辅助探测器的方法来进一步提高衍射效率测量精度,并对有无辅助探测器情况下的上述误差对衍射效率的影响进行了数学推导和仿真分析,分析结果表明引入辅助探测器可以有效抑制了上述误差对凹面光栅衍射效率测量的影响。对比传统双单色仪测量方法而言,该方法不仅能够解决传统测量方法存在的问题,同时还具有多波长同时测量、高光通量、高分辨率、高波数精度等优势,可以有效提高凹面光栅衍射效率的测量精度和测量效率。     

Beam-quality measurement of a focused high-order harmonic beam

Using a multilayer spherical mirror, we focus the high-order harmonic radiation produced near 55 nm by the nonlinear interaction of an intense femtosecond laser pulse and a xenon gas jet. The focused XUV beam is characterized by a knife-edge technique in the focal region and by far-field imaging. We show that good-quality beams, nearly two times diffraction limited, can be generated, a conclusion that is at variance with recent predictions of harmonic phase-front distortion. Spot sizes close to 10 microm are obtained, resulting in a high XUV intensity. Increasing the gas density and the length of the generating medium results in a large increase in the divergence in and degradation of the beam quality.     

Higher order harmonics suppression in extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray

The extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray sources are widely used in various domains. Suppressing higher order harmonics and improving spectral purity are significant. This paper describes a novel method of higher order harmonics suppression with single order diffraction gratings in extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray. The principle of harmonic suppression with single order diffraction grating is described, and an extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray non-harmonics grating monochromator is designed based on the single order diffraction grating. The performance is simulated by an optical design software. The emergent beams of a monochromator with different gratings are measured by a transmission grating spectrometer. The results show that the single order diffraction grating can suppress higher order harmonics effectively, and it is expected to be widely used in synchrotron radiation, diagnostics of laser induced plasma, and astrophysics.     

Soft X-ray spectroscopic study of a gas-puff Z-pinch argon plasma

X-ray radiation characteristics of argon plasma produced by a gas-puff Z-pinch device were investigated using an X-ray crystal spectrometer, an X-ray diode, and an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectrometer. Using a germanium crystal we have observed spectral emission from Ar XVII produced by hot spots at the pinched stage. With the help of a 2-m grazing incidence XUV spectrometer, the spectrum of 30 to 250 Å were obtained. Strong lines from Ar VIII to Ar XIII were observed with a continuum whose peak is around 120 Å. The radiation energy in the spectral range is estimated to be about 23 joule which is about 0.6% of the electrical energy stored in capacitors     

Profiled hologram diffraction gratings based on As2Se3 inorganic photoresist

We devised a method of producing blaze hologram diffraction gratings by transforming symmetric grooves of the original grating into asymmetric ones using an additional oblique irradiation by monochromatic or polychromatic light and a repeated chemical etching of the additionally irradiated grating. Photosensitive As₂Se₃ film layers are used as a photoconductive material for recording gratings. A numerical computer modeling of the formation of asymmetric grooves is conducted. The calculated shape of the groove profile is in good agreement with experimental data. The manifestation of asymmetry of the profile shape of the produced gratings in angular and spectral relations for their diffraction efficiency is considered. It is shown that by varying the parameters of producing the original gratings and the conditions of their additional treatment it is possible to obtain hologram gratings with the required profile shape and blaze angle. To whom correspondence should be addressed. Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 45, Nauka Ave., Kiev, 252028, Ukraine. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 587–590, July–August, 1999.     

Beam properties of fully optimized,table-top,coherent source at 30 nm

We present results on development and experimental implementation of a 1-kHz, coherent extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radia- tion source based on high-order harmonic generation of the femtosecond, near-infrared laser pulses produced by the titanium-doped sapphire laser system (35 fs, 1.2 mJ, 810 nm) at the Institute of Physics AS CR / PALS Centre. The source comprises a low-density static gas cell filled with a conversion medium, typically argon. The comprehensive optimization of the XUV harmonic source has been performed with respect to major parameters such as gas pressure in the cell, cell length, position of the focus of the driving laser field with respect to the gas cell position, size of the driving near-infrared laser beam, chirp of the femtosecond pulse, and the focal length of the lens deployed in the experimental setup. Harmonic spectra were recorded using an XUV transmission grating spectrometer developed specifically for this purpose. Detailed characterization of the XUV source has been performed including measurement of the XUV beam profile, M² parameter of the beam, absolute energy, and spatial coherence.