Free light-shape focusing in extreme-ultraviolet radiation with self-evolutionary photon sieves

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 1675
• Main Authors: Cui, Huaiyu, Zhang, Xiuping, Li, You, Zhao, Dongdi, Zhang, Junyong, Zhao, Yongpeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.01.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/624/1020; 639/624/1075; 639/624/1107; 639/624/399; Chromosomes; Etching; Evolution; Genetic algorithms; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lasers; Light; Microscopy; multidisciplinary; Mutation; Optimization; Polymethyl methacrylate; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sieves; Silicon nitride; Silicon wafers; Spectroscopy; Ultraviolet radiation
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51902-1

Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is a promising tool, not only for probing microscopic activities but also for processing nanoscale structures and performing high-resolution imaging. In this study, we demonstrate an innovative method to generate free light-shape focusing with self-evolutionary photon sieves under a single-shot coherent EUV laser; this includes vortex focus shaping, array focusing, and structured-light shaping. The results demonstrate that self-evolutionary photon sieves, consisting of a large number of specific pinholes fabricated on a piece of Si 3 N 4 membrane, are capable of freely regulating an EUV light field, for which high-performance focusing elements are extremely lacking, let alone free light-shape focusing. Our proposed versatile photon sieves are a key breakthrough in focusing technology in the EUV region and pave the way for high-resolution soft X-ray microscopy, spectroscopy in materials science, shorter lithography, and attosecond metrology in next-generation synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers.