Macroscopic effects in attosecond pulse generation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how macroscopic effects like ionization and medium length influence the generation, strength, and synchronization of attosecond pulses, demonstrating self-compression in long gas targets through experiments.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of macroscopic effects on attosecond pulse properties and shows how long gas targets can produce self-compressed pulses.

Findings

Macroscopic effects significantly influence attosecond pulse generation.

Long gas targets can lead to self-compressed attosecond pulses.

Experimental validation using argon-filled gas cells.

Abstract

We examine how the generation and propagation of high-order harmonics in a partly ionized gas medium affect their strength and synchronization. The temporal properties of the resulting attosecond pulses generated in long gas targets can be significantly influenced by macroscopic effects, in particular by the intensity in the medium and the degree of ionization. Under some conditions, the use of gas targets longer than the absorption length can lead to the generation of self-compressed attosecond pulses. We show this effect experimentally, using long argon-filled gas cells as generating medium.