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27-fs extreme ultraviolet pulse generation by high-order harmonics
Optics Letters
|December 18, 2007
Summary
Researchers measured ultrashort extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulse widths using autocorrelation for the first time. This technique yielded the shortest XUV pulse duration to date, at 27 femtoseconds.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Attosecond science
- Nonlinear optics
Background:
- High-order harmonic generation produces ultrashort pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) region.
- Measuring the duration of these XUV pulses is crucial for understanding and utilizing ultrafast phenomena.
- Existing methods for XUV pulse characterization are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate autocorrelation measurement in the XUV region for the first time.
- To accurately determine the pulse width of high-order harmonic pulses in the XUV.
- To achieve the shortest possible XUV pulse duration measurement.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two-photon ionization of rare gases as a nonlinear process.
- Employed autocorrelation to measure the pulse width.
- Generated high-order harmonic pulses in the XUV spectrum.
Main Results:
- Successfully performed autocorrelation measurements in the XUV region.
- Determined the pulse width of the generated XUV pulses.
- Obtained a pulse width of 27 femtoseconds (fs).
Conclusions:
- Autocorrelation is a viable technique for measuring ultrashort XUV pulses.
- The achieved 27-fs pulse width is the shortest reported in the XUV region.
- This advancement opens new possibilities for ultrafast XUV science.
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