Postcompression of high-energy terawatt-level femtosecond pulses and application to high-order harmonic generation

Abstract

We perform a post-compression of high energy pulses by using optical-field ionization of low pressure helium gas in a guided geometry. We apply this approach to a TW chirped-pulse-amplification based Ti:Sapphire laser chain and show that spectral broadening can be controlled both with the input pulse energy and gas pressure. Under optimized conditions, we generate 10 fs pulses at TW level directly under vacuum and demonstrate a high stability of the post compressed pulse duration. These high energy post-compressed pulses are thereafter used to perform high harmonic generation in a loose focusing geometry. The XUV beam is characterized both spatially and spectrally on a single shot basis and structured continuous XUV spectra are observed.

1.9 μm Few-Cycle Pulses Based on Multi-Thin-Plate Spectral Broadening and Nonlinear Self-Compression

“…In addition, although the ratio of power to Pcr we calculated at the laser focus exceeds more than 500 times, but the focus falls in the air for transmission and thus avoids the formation of multi-filaments in the medium of fused silica. Moreover, at higher laser intensity (>10 14 W/cm 2 ), ionization-SPM (IE-SPM) [33][34][35] may be induced to strong broaden the spectrum to the short-wavelength side [36,37]. Although the IE-SPM results in a broader spectrum, the ionization causes substantial energy loss.…”

High-energy few-cycle pulses: post-compression techniques

“…Based on this phase modulation mechanism French groups from Bordeaux and Saclay compressed ~70 mJ, 40 fs pulses to 11 fs with 13.7 mJ energy in low-pressure helium-filled HCF [154][155][156] at 10 Hz repetition rate. In a later work, they achieved 9 fs pulses at 8.7 mJ energy [157]. However, the high losses and the long compressed pulse durations do not make this technique attractive.…”

Generation and Parametric Amplification of Few‐Cycle Light Pulses at Relativistic Intensities

“…This applies also for the ambitious OPAL and XCEL projects that seek to bring OPCPA at moderate bandwidth to the kilojoule-level. , LWS-pro [107], Ecole Polytechnique [126], LWS20 [44], ELI-ALPS Sylos [165], CELIA [34], ELI-ALPS HF [167], Apollon 10 PW [40], OPAL [168], ATLAS [169], ELI-NP HPLS [39], SIOM-SULF [12,38], XCEL [170], Astra-Gemeni [171], BELLA [32], Vulcan [43,172], POLARIS [173], PENELOPE [174], Texas PW [31]. It should be noted that the plot does not provide any information about the repetition rate.…”