Aperiodic CrSc multilayer mirrors for attosecond water window pulses

Area of Science:

• Attosecond physics
• Materials science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Attosecond pulse technology is crucial for investigating ultrafast electronic processes.
• Current technology is limited to sub-200 eV, restricting studies of core electronic states in biomolecules.
• The 'water window' spectral range offers unique opportunities for studying biological and organic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop technology for attosecond pulse shaping in the 'water window' spectral range.
• To enable novel pump-probe experiments on core electronic states of biomolecules.
• To create aperiodic multilayer mirrors for precise attosecond pulse manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chirped chromium scandium (CrSc) multilayer mirrors.
• Utilized ion beam deposition with sub-angstrom precision.
• Designed mirrors specifically for attosecond pulse shaping within the 'water window'.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated chirped CrSc multilayer mirrors with high precision.
• Mirrors are designed for attosecond pulse shaping in the 'water window' spectral range.
• This technology advances the capability to tailor attosecond pulses for specific experiments.

Conclusions:

• Chirped CrSc multilayer mirrors are a key component for extending attosecond pulse technology to the 'water window'.
• This advancement will facilitate unprecedented investigations into ultrafast electronic dynamics in biomolecules.
• The developed mirrors enable tailored pump-probe experiments for studying core electronic states.