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Efficient output coupling of intracavity high-harmonic generation
D C Yost1, T R Schibli, Jun Ye
1JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA. dylan.yost@colorado.edu
Optics Letters
|May 17, 2008
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to extract extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) light from a femtosecond enhancement cavity using a specialized diffraction grating. This technique significantly boosts usable power for high-harmonic generation at high repetition rates.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Laser Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- High-harmonic generation (HHG) is a crucial process for producing extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) radiation.
- Extracting generated XUV radiation from enhancement cavities efficiently is a significant challenge.
- Previous methods for HHG at high repetition rates faced limitations in usable power.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel technique for efficiently coupling XUV harmonic radiation out of a femtosecond enhancement cavity.
- To improve the usable power of XUV radiation generated at high repetition rates.
- To overcome limitations of existing XUV extraction methods.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a dielectric mirror with an integrated small-period diffraction grating.
- Utilizing the element as a high reflector for fundamental light and a diffraction grating for XUV harmonics.
- Coupling the generated XUV radiation out of the femtosecond enhancement cavity.
Main Results:
- Successful coupling of XUV harmonic radiation out of the enhancement cavity.
- Observation of the third through twenty-first odd harmonics.
- Dramatic increase in usable power compared to previous high-repetition-rate HHG methods.
Conclusions:
- The novel diffraction grating mirror provides an efficient method for XUV extraction from enhancement cavities.
- This technique significantly enhances the usable power of HHG at high repetition rates.
- The demonstrated method offers a promising advancement for applications requiring high-power XUV sources.
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