Generation and compression of 10-fs deep ultraviolet pulses at high repetition rate using standard optics

Abstract

The generation and characterization of ultrashort laser pulses in the deep ultraviolet spectral region is challenging, especially at high pulse repetition rates and low pulse energies. Here, we combine achromatic second harmonic generation and adaptive pulse compression for the efficient generation of sub-10 fs deep ultraviolet laser pulses at a laser repetition rate of 200 kHz. Furthermore, we simplify the pulse compression scheme and reach pulse durations of ≈10 fs without the use of adaptive optics. We demonstrate straight-forward tuning from 250 to 320 nm, broad pulse spectra of up to 63 nm width, excellent stability and a high robustness against misalignment. These features make the approach appealing for numerous spectroscopy and imaging applications.

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy: the continuing evolution of a mature technique

“…50,51 Indeed, there are presently challenges to produce tunable ultrashort fs pulses, in the range of 6 to 10 eV, that will be stable enough for long acquisition times. In addition to the frequency mixing that delivers sub-10 fs-DUV pulse, [52][53][54] the optical soliton driven resonant dispersive wave (RDW) emission in gas-filled hollow fibers 55 becomes a promising source. It delivers ultrashort pulses up to a deep-UV (down to 113 nm) with a large tunability, stable over hours, in any polarisation state, at low cost and easy to implement.…”

High-flux, ultraviolet-to-visible-tunable, ultrafast light source based on gas-filled capillary fibre system

“…Ultrafast optical pulses with continuous wavelength tunability covering deep ultraviolet (UV) to visible wavelengths (200 nm to 760 nm), have many important applications, since the absorption bands of many molecules locate within this wavelength regime [1][2][3][4][5] and ultrashort pulse width can provide high temporal resolution to resolve transient dynamics of these molecules and their chemical reactions [3][4][5][6][7][8] . While a few parametric processes based nonlinear crystals, such as optical parametric ampli cation or optical parametric oscillator, have been successfully applied to generate high-performance light source tunable in the UV and visible wavelength ranges 4,[8][9][10][11][12][13] , the phase-matching condition in the nonlinear crystal lays a fundamental contradictory between the achievable pulse width and conversion e ciency in the parametric process, especially for ultraviolet wavelengths 10,13 . Other techniques based on gas jet, such as four-wave mixing and high harmonic generation can be used to generate ultrashort pulses at deep UV or even extreme UV wavelengths.…”

Time evolution of entanglement of electrons and nuclei and partial traces in ultrafast photochemistry

“…Progress in laser atto science has now reached the point where few cycle, few femtosecond pulses are available in the deep UV 1,2 and could promote neutral polyatomic molecules to bound excited states, thereby providing new insights on photodynamics in small and bio molecules [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and large band gap materials. 10 The broad energy width of 2-3 fs pulses in the deep UV means that several electronic states are coherently excited.…”