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Updated: May 8, 2026

20 mJ, 1 ps Yb:YAG Thin-disk Regenerative Amplifier
Published on: July 12, 2017
Attosecond extreme ultraviolet vortices from high-order harmonic generation
Carlos Hernández-García1, Antonio Picón, Julio San Román
1Grupo de Investigación en Óptica Extrema, Universidad de Salamanca, E-37008 Salamanca, Spain and JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA.
High-order harmonic generation (HHG) creates extreme-ultraviolet harmonic vortices from infrared fields with orbital angular momentum (OAM). These vortices carry OAM multiples and can form helical attosecond pulses.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Nonlinear optics
- Laser physics
Background:
- High-order harmonic generation (HHG) is a key process for producing extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) light.
- Orbital angular momentum (OAM) in light fields enables novel optical properties and applications.
- Understanding the interplay between OAM and HHG is crucial for advanced light source development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate high-order harmonic generation (HHG) driven by infrared fields with orbital angular momentum (OAM).
- To analyze the generation, propagation, and properties of XUV harmonic vortices.
- To explore the potential for creating attosecond pulses with helical structures.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of HHG in the presence of OAM.
- Numerical simulations of harmonic vortex generation and propagation.
- Analysis of OAM transfer and spectral characteristics of generated harmonics.
Main Results:
- XUV harmonic vortices are generated and maintain their structure during propagation.
- The generated vortices carry OAM multiples of the driving field's OAM.
- Harmonic vortices exhibit similar divergence, and combining OAM with HHG phase locking can produce helical attosecond pulses.
Conclusions:
- OAM-driven HHG is a viable route to generating structured XUV light.
- The control over OAM in HHG opens possibilities for novel attosecond pulse generation.
- This work provides a theoretical foundation for experimental investigations into OAM-based HHG.
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