Multi-octave, CEP-stable source for high-energy field synthesis

TL;DR

This paper presents a phase-stable, multi-octave light source based on Yb:YAG amplification, enabling high-energy, ultrashort pulses for attosecond spectroscopy with intrinsic stability and scalability.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a novel, phase-stable, multi-octave light source with high energy and ultrashort pulses, advancing capabilities for high-energy field synthesis.

Findings

Amplified two-octave spectrum to 25 μJ energy

Achieved pulse durations of 6 fs and 18 fs at 1 μm and 2 μm

Sub-cycle electric field detection at 0.15 PHz

Abstract

The development of high-energy, high-power, multi-octave light-transients is currently subject of intense research driven by emerging applications in attosecond spectroscopy and coherent control. We report on a phase-stable, multi-octave source based on a Yb:YAG amplifier for light-transient generation. We demonstrate the amplification of a two-octave spectrum to 25\,$\mu$J of energy in two broadband amplification channels and their temporal compression to 6\,fs and 18\,fs at 1\,$\mu$m and 2\,$\mu$m, respectively. In this scheme due to the intrinsic temporal synchronization between the pump and seed pulses, the temporal jitter is restricted to long-term drift. We show that the intrinsic stability of the synthesizer allows for sub-cycle detection of an electric field at 0.15\,PHz. The complex electric field of the 0.15\,PHz pulses and their free-induction decay after interaction with water molecules are resolved by electro-optic sampling over 2\,ps. The scheme is scalable in peak- and average-power.