Method for high precision measurement of decaying dynamics using attosecond wave-mixing spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Quantum dynamics
• Atomic physics
• Ultrafast spectroscopy

Background:

• Ultrafast wave-mixing spectroscopies offer deep insights into electronic dynamics.
• Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) attosecond pulses are crucial for probing these dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a versatile lifetime-detection method for doubly excited states in atomic helium.
• To measure lifetimes of states with odd or even parities in a single experiment.

Main Methods:

• Mixing an attosecond EUV pulse with two few-cycle near-infrared (NIR) pulses.
• Utilizing a noncollinear geometry in atomic helium.
• Analyzing spatially resolved nonlinear signals to extract decay dynamics.

Main Results:

• The method successfully retrieves lifetimes of states with different parities.
• Numerical simulations confirmed the method's validity and robustness.
• Lifetime measurement accuracy is better than a few hundred attoseconds.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method is a powerful tool for probing electronic wave packet decay dynamics.
• Offers superb resolution for ultrafast electronic processes.
• Enables precise lifetime measurements of excited atomic states.