Potential of attosecond coherent diffractive imaging

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel approach to attosecond coherent diffractive imaging, enabling the reconstruction of spectral and spatial information of extended objects using simulated and experimental data, opening new avenues in attosecond imaging science.

Contribution

It introduces a method for attosecond imaging that reconstructs spectral and spatial information from diffraction patterns, advancing beyond spectroscopic measurements.

Findings

Successful simulation of spectral and spatial reconstruction

Experimental demonstration with a broad-spectrum LED

Potential to expand attosecond imaging applications

Abstract

Attosecond science has been transforming our understanding of electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids. However, to date almost all of the attoscience experiments have been based on spectroscopic measurements because attosecond pulses have intrinsically very broad spectra due to the uncertainty principle and are incompatible with conventional imaging systems. Here we report an important advance towards achieving attosecond coherent diffractive imaging. Using simulated attosecond pulses, we simultaneously reconstruct the spectrum, 17 probes and 17 spectral images of extended objects from a set of ptychographic diffraction patterns. We further confirm the principle and feasibility of this method by successfully performing a ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging experiment using a light-emitting diode with a broad spectrum. We believe this work clear the way to an unexplored domain of attosecond imaging science, which could have a far-reaching impact across different disciplines.