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Updated: May 7, 2026

An Experimental Protocol for Femtosecond NIR/UV - XUV Pump-Probe Experiments with Free-Electron Lasers
Published on: October 23, 2018
Boosting photoabsorption by attosecond control of electron correlation
1Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623, USA.
Scientists demonstrate attosecond control over electron correlation in helium atoms using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pulses. This manipulation enhances energetic electron production from intense laser interactions by tenfold.
Area of Science:
- Quantum mechanics
- Atomic physics
- Physical chemistry
Background:
- Electron correlation is vital for many-body phenomena in physics and chemistry.
- Controlling electron correlation is key for coherent control of chemical and photobiological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the attosecond control of electron-electron interactions in multielectron atoms.
- To demonstrate the enhancement of energetic electron production via controlled electron correlation.
Main Methods:
- Full-dimensional ab initio calculations.
- Simulation of double ionization of helium atoms exposed to intense laser pulses (780 nm).
- Application of time-delayed attosecond extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pulses.
Main Results:
- Electron-electron interactions were instantaneously tuned using attosecond EUV pulses.
- The probability of producing energetic electrons was enhanced by an order of magnitude.
- Attosecond control over electron-electron correlation was achieved.
Conclusions:
- Attosecond EUV pulses can dynamically control electron correlation in intense laser-matter interactions.
- This control offers a new pathway for manipulating photoinduced processes.
- Potential applications in coherent control of chemical reactions and photobiology.
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