Tracking attosecond electronic coherences using phase-manipulated extreme ultraviolet pulses

Area of Science:

• Ultrafast spectroscopy
• Coherent control
• Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) science

Background:

• Ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (XUV) coherent light sources offer high spatial and temporal resolution for studying matter.
• Implementing advanced nonlinear spectroscopy and coherent control in the XUV range is challenging due to difficulties in controlling pulse timing and phase.

Purpose of the Study:

• To overcome experimental limitations in generating precisely controlled XUV pulse sequences.
• To enable direct control and manipulation of the phase of individual pulses within an XUV pulse sequence.
• To facilitate advanced coherent control and multidimensional spectroscopy at XUV wavelengths.

Main Methods:

• Developed a highly time-stabilized and phase-modulated XUV-pump, XUV-probe experimental setup.
• The experiment directly probes the evolution and dephasing of inner subshell electronic coherence.
• This approach avoids the need for XUV optics for direct pulse manipulation.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a method for precise timing and phase control of XUV pulse sequences.
• Enabled direct probing of electronic coherence dynamics using a phase-modulated XUV-pump, XUV-probe technique.
• Achieved unprecedented control over XUV pulse properties for advanced spectroscopic applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed XUV experimental approach overcomes critical constraints in ultrafast spectroscopy and coherent control.
• This work opens new possibilities for nonlinear optics and multidimensional spectroscopy at XUV wavelengths.
• The method provides a powerful tool for investigating the structure and dynamics of matter with high resolution.