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Chirvi K, Biegert J. Laser-induced electron diffraction: Imaging of a single gas-phase molecular structure with one of its own electrons. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:041301. [PMID: 39221452 PMCID: PMC11365610 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Among the many methods to image molecular structure, laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) can image a single gas-phase molecule by locating all of a molecule's atoms in space and time. The method is based on attosecond electron recollision driven by a laser field and can reach attosecond temporal resolution. Implementation with a mid-IR laser and cold-target recoil ion-momentum spectroscopy, single molecules are measured with picometer resolution due to the keV electron impact energy without ensemble averaging or the need for molecular orientation. Nowadays, the method has evolved to detect single complex and chiral molecular structures in 3D. The review will touch on the various methods to discuss the implementations of LIED toward single-molecule imaging and complement the discussions with noteworthy experimental findings in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Chirvi
- ICFO—Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
| | - J. Biegert
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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2
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Shaikh M, Liu X, Amini K, Steinle T, Biegert J. High density molecular jets of complex neutral organic molecules with Tesla valves. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:104103. [PMID: 34717433 DOI: 10.1063/5.0060904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Supersonic jets of gas-phase atoms and small molecules have enabled a variety of ultrafast and ultracold chemical studies. However, extension to larger, more complex neutral molecules proves challenging for two reasons: (i) Complex molecules, such as cis-stilbene, exist in a liquid or solid phase at room temperature and ambient pressure and (ii) a unidirectional flow of high-density gaseous beams of such molecules to the interaction region is required. No delivery system currently exists that can deliver dense enough molecular jets of neutral complex molecules without ionizing or exciting the target for use in gas-phase structural dynamics studies. Here, we present a novel delivery system utilizing Tesla valves, which generates more than an order-of-magnitude denser gaseous beam of molecules compared to a bubbler without Tesla valves at the interaction region by ensuring a fast unidirectional flow of the gaseous sample. We present combined experimental and flow simulations of the Tesla valve setup. Our results open new possibilities of studying large complex neutral molecules in the gas-phase with low vapor pressures in future ultrafast and ultracold studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moniruzzaman Shaikh
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xinyao Liu
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kasra Amini
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tobias Steinle
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jens Biegert
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Rueda P, Videla F, Witting T, Torchia GA, Furch FJ. 8 fs laser pulses from a compact gas-filled multi-pass cell. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:27004-27013. [PMID: 34615123 DOI: 10.1364/oe.435086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Compression of 42 fs, 0.29 mJ pulses from a Ti:Sapphire amplifier down to 8 fs (approximately 3 optical cycles) is demonstrated by means of spectral broadening in a compact multi-pass cell filled with argon. The efficiency of the nonlinear pulse compression is limited to 45 % mostly by losses in the mirrors of the cell. The experimental results are supported by 3-dimensional numerical simulations of the nonlinear pulse propagation in the cell that allow us to study spatio-spectral properties of the pulses after spectral broadening.
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Wang W, Zhou J, Liu B, Wang X. Exciting the Isomeric ^{229}Th Nuclear State via Laser-Driven Electron Recollision. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:052501. [PMID: 34397255 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.052501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new approach to excite the isomeric ^{229}Th nuclear state, which has attracted much attention recently as a potential "nuclear clock." Our approach is based on a laser-driven electron recollision process, the core process of strong-field atomic physics. Bringing together knowledge of recollision physics and of the related nuclear physics, we calculate the isomeric excitation probability. This new approach does not require precise knowledge of the energy of the isomeric state. The excitation is well timed which may be exploited to control the coherence of the isomeric state. Experimental realization is within reach using tabletop laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Wang
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Boqun Liu
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
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5
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Alexandridi C, Délen X, Druon F, Georges P, Martin L, Mathieu F, Papadopoulos D. Generation of optically synchronized pump-signal beams for ultrafast OPCPA via the optical Kerr effect. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:2035-2038. [PMID: 33929412 DOI: 10.1364/ol.425237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, multi-petawatt laser installations have achieved unprecedented peak powers, opening new horizons to laser-matter interaction studies. Ultra-broadband and extreme temporal contrast pulse requirements make optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) in the few-picosecond regime the key technology in these systems. To guarantee high fidelity output, however, OPCPA requires excellent synchronization between pump and signal pulses. Here, we propose a new highly versatile architecture for the generation of optically synchronized pump-signal pairs based on the Kerr shutter effect. We obtained >550µJ pump pulses of 12 ps duration at 532 nm optically synchronized with a typical ultrashort CPA source at 800 nm. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, our system was also used for amplification of ∼20µJ ultra-broadband pulses based on an OPCPA setup.
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Sanchez A, Amini K, Wang SJ, Steinle T, Belsa B, Danek J, Le AT, Liu X, Moshammer R, Pfeifer T, Richter M, Ullrich J, Gräfe S, Lin CD, Biegert J. Molecular structure retrieval directly from laboratory-frame photoelectron spectra in laser-induced electron diffraction. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1520. [PMID: 33750798 PMCID: PMC7943781 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21855-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitous to most molecular scattering methods is the challenge to retrieve bond distance and angle from the scattering signals since this requires convergence of pattern matching algorithms or fitting methods. This problem is typically exacerbated when imaging larger molecules or for dynamic systems with little a priori knowledge. Here, we employ laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) which is a powerful means to determine the precise atomic configuration of an isolated gas-phase molecule with picometre spatial and attosecond temporal precision. We introduce a simple molecular retrieval method, which is based only on the identification of critical points in the oscillating molecular interference scattering signal that is extracted directly from the laboratory-frame photoelectron spectrum. The method is compared with a Fourier-based retrieval method, and we show that both methods correctly retrieve the asymmetrically stretched and bent field-dressed configuration of the asymmetric top molecule carbonyl sulfide (OCS), which is confirmed by our quantum-classical calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sanchez
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - K Amini
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - S-J Wang
- Department of Physics, J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - T Steinle
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B Belsa
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Danek
- Department of Physics, J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - A T Le
- Department of Physics, J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
- Department of Physics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA
| | - X Liu
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Moshammer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - T Pfeifer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Richter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - J Ullrich
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S Gräfe
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - C D Lin
- Department of Physics, J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - J Biegert
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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Nauta J, Oelmann JH, Ackermann A, Knauer P, Pappenberger R, Borodin A, Muhammad IS, Ledwa H, Pfeifer T, Crespo López-Urrutia JR. 100 MHz frequency comb for low-intensity multi-photon studies: intra-cavity velocity-map imaging of xenon. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:2156-2159. [PMID: 32287180 DOI: 10.1364/ol.389327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We raise the power from a commercial 10 W frequency comb inside an enhancement cavity and perform multi-photon ionization of gas-phase atoms at 100 MHz for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. An intra-cavity velocity-map-imaging setup collects electron-energy spectra of xenon at rates several orders of magnitude higher than those of conventional laser systems. Consequently, we can use much lower intensities ${\sim}{{10}^{12}} \;{\rm W}/{{\rm cm}^2} $∼1012W/cm2 without increasing acquisition times above just a few seconds. The high rate and coherence of the stabilized femtosecond pulses are known to be transferred to the actively stabilized cavity and will allow studying purely perturbative multi-photon effects, paving the road towards a new field of precision tests in nonlinear physics.
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Turcicova H, Novak O, Roskot L, Smrz M, Muzik J, Chyla M, Endo A, Mocek T. New observations on DUV radiation at 257 nm and 206 nm produced by a picosecond diode pumped thin-disk laser. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:24286-24299. [PMID: 31510320 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.024286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We report new observations on picosecond deep ultraviolet coherent beams generated in a CLBO as the fourth and fifth harmonics of a diode pumped high average power Yb:YAG thin disk laser operating at 77 kHz repetition rate at 1030 nm. The effects of the two-photon absorption were observed, e.g. the modification of phase matching conditions, lowering of the conversion efficiency. The fifth harmonic generation (4ω+1ω) was studied for different time delays between both pump beams and for the case of excess input power of the fundamental. The latter effect suggests a possibility of increasing DUV output at short crystals. The highest output power obtained at 257 nm was 7.6 W and 1 W at 206 nm. To our knowledge these DUV output powers rank among the highest for picosecond pulses at the repetition rate of the order of magnitude of 100 kHz.
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Liu X, Amini K, Steinle T, Sanchez A, Shaikh M, Belsa B, Steinmetzer J, Le AT, Moshammer R, Pfeifer T, Ullrich J, Moszynski R, Lin CD, Gräfe S, Biegert J. Imaging an isolated water molecule using a single electron wave packet. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:024306. [PMID: 31301712 DOI: 10.1063/1.5100520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Observing changes in molecular structure requires atomic-scale Ångstrom and femtosecond spatio-temporal resolution. We use the Fourier transform (FT) variant of laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED), FT-LIED, to directly retrieve the molecular structure of H2O+ with picometer and femtosecond resolution without a priori knowledge of the molecular structure nor the use of retrieval algorithms or ab initio calculations. We identify a symmetrically stretched H2O+ field-dressed structure that is most likely in the ground electronic state. We subsequently study the nuclear response of an isolated water molecule to an external laser field at four different field strengths. We show that upon increasing the laser field strength from 2.5 to 3.8 V/Å, the O-H bond is further stretched and the molecule slightly bends. The observed ultrafast structural changes lead to an increase in the dipole moment of water and, in turn, a stronger dipole interaction between the nuclear framework of the molecule and the intense laser field. Our results provide important insights into the coupling of the nuclear framework to a laser field as the molecular geometry of H2O+ is altered in the presence of an external field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyao Liu
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kasra Amini
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tobias Steinle
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurelien Sanchez
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Moniruzzaman Shaikh
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blanca Belsa
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Steinmetzer
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Anh-Thu Le
- Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri 65409, USA
| | - Robert Moshammer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Pfeifer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ullrich
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Moszynski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - C D Lin
- Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gräfe
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jens Biegert
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Imaging the Renner-Teller effect using laser-induced electron diffraction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:8173-8177. [PMID: 30952783 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817465116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural information on electronically excited neutral molecules can be indirectly retrieved, largely through pump-probe and rotational spectroscopy measurements with the aid of calculations. Here, we demonstrate the direct structural retrieval of neutral carbonyl disulfide (CS2) in the [Formula: see text] excited electronic state using laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED). We unambiguously identify the ultrafast symmetric stretching and bending of the field-dressed neutral CS2 molecule with combined picometer and attosecond resolution using intrapulse pump-probe excitation and measurement. We invoke the Renner-Teller effect to populate the [Formula: see text] excited state in neutral CS2, leading to bending and stretching of the molecule. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of LIED in retrieving the geometric structure of CS2, which is known to appear as a two-center scatterer.
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Abstract
The speed of solid-state electronic devices, determined by the temporal dynamics of charge carriers, could potentially reach unprecedented petahertz frequencies through direct manipulation by optical fields, consisting in a million-fold increase from state-of-the-art technology. In graphene, charge carrier manipulation is facilitated by exceptionally strong coupling to optical fields, from which stems an important back-action of photoexcited carriers. Here we investigate the instantaneous response of graphene to ultrafast optical fields, elucidating the role of hot carriers on sub-100 fs timescales. The measured nonlinear response and its dependence on interaction time and field polarization reveal the back-action of hot carriers over timescales commensurate with the optical field. An intuitive picture is given for the carrier trajectories in response to the optical-field polarization state. We note that the peculiar interplay between optical fields and charge carriers in graphene may also apply to surface states in topological insulators with similar Dirac cone dispersion relations. Graphene possesses a nonlinear optical response arising from its electronic dispersion. Here, the authors measure the response of graphene to an ultrafast optical field and provide an explanation of the quantum dynamics of Dirac carriers mediating the material’s nonlinear response.
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12
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Mid-infrared dispersive wave generation in gas-filled photonic crystal fibre by transient ionization-driven changes in dispersion. Nat Commun 2017; 8:813. [PMID: 28993618 PMCID: PMC5634423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00943-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibre is being used to generate ever wider supercontinuum spectra, in particular via dispersive wave emission in the deep and vacuum ultraviolet, with a multitude of applications. Dispersive waves are the result of nonlinear transfer of energy from a self-compressed soliton, a process that relies crucially on phase-matching. It was recently predicted that, in the strong-field regime, the additional transient anomalous dispersion introduced by gas ionization would allow phase-matched dispersive wave generation in the mid-infrared-something that is forbidden in the absence of free electrons. Here we report the experimental observation of such mid-infrared dispersive waves, embedded in a 4.7-octave-wide supercontinuum that uniquely reaches simultaneously to the vacuum ultraviolet, with up to 1.7 W of total average power.Dispersive wave emission in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibres has been possible in the visible and ultraviolet via the optical Kerr effect. Here, Köttig et al. demonstrate dispersive waves generated by an additional transient anomalous dispersion from gas ionization in the mid-infrared.
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Schuh K, Panagiotopoulos P, Kolesik M, Koch SW, Moloney JV. Multi-terawatt 10 μm pulse atmospheric delivery over multiple Rayleigh ranges. OPTICS LETTERS 2017; 42:3722-3725. [PMID: 28957115 DOI: 10.1364/ol.42.003722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We predict that long wavelength self-trapped multi-terawatt pulses can be sustained over multiple kilometers in the atmosphere. Unlike filaments, these pulses exhibit low loss propagation and retain most of their launch power at range. A novel mechanism involving an aggregation of weakly linear and nonlinear cumulative optical responses is shown to be responsible and is dominated by an ultrafast dynamical lensing resulting from a field intensity driven many-body Coulomb mediated free electron polarization associated with spatially separated species in the gas. An initial few picosecond pulse can compress down to 140 fs over multiple kilometers.
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Lavenu L, Natile M, Guichard F, Zaouter Y, Hanna M, Mottay E, Georges P. High-energy few-cycle Yb-doped fiber amplifier source based on a single nonlinear compression stage. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:7530-7537. [PMID: 28380874 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.007530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A simple, compact, and efficient few-cycle laser source at a central wavelength of 1 µm is presented. The system is based on a high-energy femtosecond ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier delivering 130 fs, 250 µJ pulses at 200 kHz, corresponding to 1.5 GW of peak power and an average power of 50 W. The unprecedented short pulse duration at the output of this system is obtained by use of spectral intensity and phase shaping, allowing for both gain narrowing mitigation and the compensation of the nonlinear accumulated spectral phase. This laser source is followed by a single-stage of nonlinear compression in a xenon-filled capillary, allowing for the generation of 14 fs, 120 µJ pulses at 200 kHz resulting in 24 W of average power. High-harmonic generation driven by this type of source will trigger numerous new applications in the XUV range and attosecond science.
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Giree A, Mero M, Arisholm G, Vrakking MJJ, Furch FJ. Numerical study of spatiotemporal distortions in noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:3104-3121. [PMID: 28241527 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.003104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
During amplification in a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier the spatial and temporal coordinates of the amplified field are inherently coupled. These couplings or distortions can limit the peak intensity, among other things. In this work, a numerical study of the spatiotemporal distortions in BBO-based noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers (NOPCPAs) is presented for a wide range of parameters and for different amplification conditions. It is shown that for Gaussian pump beams, gain saturation introduces strong distortions and high conversion efficiency always comes at the price of strong spatiotemporal couplings which drastically reduce the peak intensity even when pulse fronts of the pump and the signal are matched. However, high conversion efficiencies with minimum spatiotemporal distortions can still be achieved with flat-top pump beam profiles.
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