Generation of intense continuum extreme-ultraviolet radiation by many-cycle laser fields

• Published in: Nature physics Vol. 3; no. 12; pp. 846 - 850
• Main Authors: Tzallas, P, Skantzakis, E, Kalpouzos, C, Benis, E. P, Tsakiris, G. D, Charalambidis, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Engineering; Gases; Lasers; Optics; Physics
• ISSN: 1745-2473; 1745-2481
• DOI: 10.1038/nphys747

Continuing efforts in ultrashort pulse engineering have recently led to the breakthroughs of the generation of attosecond (10−18 s) pulse trains and isolated pulses. Although trains of multiple pulses can be generated through the interaction of many-optical-cycle pulses with gases-a process that has led to intense extreme-ultraviolet emission-the generation of isolated high-intensity pulses, which requires few-cycle driving pulses, remains a challenge. Here, we report a vital step towards the generation of such pulses, the production of broad continuum extreme-ultraviolet emission using a high-intensity, many-cycle, infrared pulsed laser, through the interferometric modulation of the ellipticity of 50-fs-long driving pulses. The increasing availability of high-power many-cycle lasers and their potential use in the construction of intense attosecond radiation-with either gas or solid-surface targets-offer exciting opportunities for multiphoton extreme-ultraviolet-pump-extreme-ultraviolet-probe studies of laser-matter and laser-plasma interactions.