Attosecond nonlinear optics using gigawatt-scale isolated attosecond pulses

Area of Science:

• Quantum Optics
• Attosecond Science
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• High-energy isolated attosecond pulses are essential for cutting-edge nonlinear attosecond experiments and attosecond-pump/attosecond-probe spectroscopy.
• Current methods struggle to provide the necessary pulse energy and intensity for these demanding applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a robust method for generating intense isolated attosecond pulses.
• To enable novel nonlinear attosecond optics experiments through enhanced pulse characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Combining two-color field synthesis with an energy-scaling technique for high-order harmonic generation.
• Utilizing nonlinear autocorrelation measurements for pulse characterization.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum pulse energy of 1.3 μJ for isolated attosecond pulses.
• Generated pulses with a duration of 500 as, the shortest reported for inducing nonlinear phenomena.
• Attained a peak power of 2.6 GW, exceeding that of some extreme-ultraviolet free-electron lasers.

Conclusions:

• The developed method successfully generates unprecedentedly intense and short isolated attosecond pulses.
• This advancement opens new possibilities for nonlinear attosecond science and spectroscopy.
• The tabletop light source offers a powerful alternative to large-scale facilities like free-electron lasers.