Strong-field Coherent Control of Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how shaping laser waveforms through phase control enables precise manipulation of attosecond pulse characteristics and free-electron trajectories, advancing attosecond science and high-harmonic generation techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a method for controlling attosecond pulse properties by waveform shaping using phase parameters, enhancing spectral tunability and pulse duration control.

Findings

Control of attosecond pulse energy, bandwidth, and duration via waveform shaping.

Demonstration of coherent control of electron trajectories with tailored optical waveforms.

Potential for expanding experimental capabilities in attosecond science.

Abstract

Attosecond science promises to reveal the most fundamental electronic dynamics occurring in matter and it can develop further by meeting two linked technological goals related to high-order harmonic sources: higher photon flux (permitting to measure low cross-section processes) and improved spectral tunability (allowing selectivity in addressing specific electronic transitions). New developments come through parametric waveform synthesis, which provides control over the shape of high-energy electric field transients, enabling the creation of highly-tunable isolated attosecond pulses via high-harmonic generation. Here we show that central energy, spectral bandwidth/shape and temporal duration of the attosecond pulses can be controlled by shaping the laser pulse waveform via two key parameters: the relative-phase between two halves of the multi-octave spanning optical spectrum, and the overall carrier-envelope phase. These results not only promise to expand the experimental possibilities in attosecond science, but also demonstrate coherent strong-field control of free-electron trajectories using tailored optical waveforms.