Linear autocorrelation of partially coherent extreme-ultraviolet lasers: a quantitative analysis

A quantitative interpretation method is described for experiments involving the linear autocorrelation of partially coherent extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses, generated by either x-ray free-electron lasers or plasma-based XUV lasers. A recently published modeling method for partially coherent pulses is numerically implemented in that specific case. Analytical expressions for the statistical root-mean-square average of the fringe visibility are derived. The method yields unambiguous information on both the coherence time and the pulse duration, providing a valuable data interpretation tool.