Attosecond synchronization of extreme ultraviolet high harmonics from crystals

The interaction of strong near-infrared (NIR) laser pulses with wide-bandgap dielectrics produces high harmonics in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) wavelength range. These observations have opened up the possibility of attosecond metrology in solids, which would benefit from a precise measurement of the emission times of individual harmonics with respect to the NIR laser field. Here we show that, when high-harmonics are detected from the input surface of a magnesium oxide crystal, a bichromatic probing of the XUV emission shows a clear synchronization largely consistent with a semiclassical model of electron–hole recollisions in bulk solids. On the other hand, the bichromatic spectrogram of harmonics originating from the exit surface of the 200 μm-thick crystal is strongly modified, indicating the influence of laser field distortions during propagation. Our tracking of sub-cycle electron and hole re-collisions at XUV energies is relevant to the development of solid-state sources of attosecond pulses.

[1]  Binghai Yan,et al.  Attosecond spectral singularities in solid-state high-harmonic generation , 2020, Nature Photonics.

[2]  M. Gaarde,et al.  Imperfect Recollisions in High-Harmonic Generation in Solids. , 2020, Physical review letters.

[3]  D. Reis,et al.  Interferometry of dipole phase in high harmonics from solids , 2019, Nature Photonics.

[4]  C. Roedel,et al.  Crystal orientation-dependent polarization state of high-order harmonics. , 2018, Optics letters.

[5]  T. Luu,et al.  Observing broken inversion symmetry in solids using two-color high-order harmonic spectroscopy , 2018, Physical Review A.

[6]  D. Reis,et al.  Observation of backward high-harmonic emission from solids. , 2018, Optics express.

[7]  Eleftherios Goulielmakis,et al.  Ultimate waveform reproducibility of extreme-ultraviolet pulses by high-harmonic generation in quartz , 2018 .

[8]  D. Villeneuve,et al.  Attosecond science , 2018 .

[9]  K. Schafer,et al.  Orientation dependence of temporal and spectral properties of high-order harmonics in solids , 2017 .

[10]  P. Bucksbaum,et al.  Enhanced high-harmonic generation from an all-dielectric metasurface , 2017, Nature Physics.

[11]  Claus Ropers,et al.  Tailored semiconductors for high-harmonic optoelectronics , 2017, Science.

[12]  Zenghu Chang,et al.  Laser waveform control of extreme ultraviolet high harmonics from solids. , 2017, Optics letters.

[13]  Behnood G. Ghamsari,et al.  Plasmon-enhanced high-harmonic generation from silicon , 2017, Nature Physics.

[14]  John E. Beetar,et al.  High harmonic generation in ZnO with a high-power mid-IR OPA , 2017 .

[15]  David A. Reis,et al.  Anisotropic high-harmonic generation in bulk crystals , 2016, Nature Physics.

[16]  E. Goulielmakis,et al.  Multi-petahertz electronic metrology , 2016, Nature.

[17]  Young-Jin Kim,et al.  High-harmonic generation by field enhanced femtosecond pulses in metal-sapphire nanostructure , 2016, Nature Communications.

[18]  Kenneth J. Schafer,et al.  Solid-state harmonics beyond the atomic limit , 2016, Nature.

[19]  Tony F. Heinz,et al.  High-harmonic generation from an atomically thin semiconductor , 2016, Nature Physics.

[20]  P. Corkum,et al.  All-Optical Reconstruction of Crystal Band Structure. , 2015, Physical review letters.

[21]  H. Soifer,et al.  Attosecond tunnelling interferometry , 2015, Nature Physics.

[22]  S. Koch,et al.  Real-time observation of interfering crystal electrons in high-harmonic generation , 2015, Nature.

[23]  F. Légaré,et al.  Linking high harmonics from gases and solids , 2015, Nature.

[24]  E. Goulielmakis,et al.  Extreme ultraviolet high-harmonic spectroscopy of solids , 2015, Nature.

[25]  Kenneth J. Schafer,et al.  High-harmonic generation from Bloch electrons in solids , 2015, 1502.07183.

[26]  P. Corkum,et al.  Semiclassical analysis of high harmonic generation in bulk crystals , 2015 .

[27]  P. Corkum,et al.  Theoretical analysis of high-harmonic generation in solids. , 2014, Physical review letters.

[28]  S. Koch,et al.  Sub-cycle control of terahertz high-harmonic generation by dynamical Bloch oscillations , 2014, Nature Photonics.

[29]  M. Ivanov,et al.  Multielectron High Harmonic Generation: Simple Man on a Complex Plane , 2013, 1304.2413.

[30]  Y. Mairesse,et al.  Resolving the time when an electron exits a tunnelling barrier , 2012, Nature.

[31]  Pierre Agostini,et al.  Observation of high-order harmonic generation in a bulk crystal , 2011 .

[32]  F. Krausz.  Attosecond Physics , 2007, 2007 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics - Pacific Rim.

[33]  P. Corkum,et al.  Measuring and controlling the birth of attosecond XUV pulses , 2006 .

[34]  J. Levesque,et al.  Tomographic imaging of molecular orbitals , 2004, Nature.

[35]  P. Balcou,et al.  Observation of a Train of Attosecond Pulses from High Harmonic Generation , 2001, Science.

[36]  P. Corkum,et al.  Plasma perspective on strong field multiphoton ionization. , 1993, Physical review letters.