Work

Bright isolated light pulses reaching 18 attoseconds from high-order harmonic generation by post-compressed Yb lasers

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Generating ever-shorter and brighter light pulses is a central goal of ultrafast science, enabling coherent control and observation of electron dynamics on their natural timescale. State-of-the-art isolated attosecond pulse generation currently achieves pulse durations of 40-50 attoseconds. Here we demonstrate isolated attosecond light pulses with durations of 18 attoseconds, via high-order harmonic generation driven by a post-compressed industrial-grade Yb laser system. The high-harmonic spectrum spans photon energies from 50 to 320 eV, covering the carbon K-edge, with a calibrated photon flux exceeding 1012 photons per second. Pulse durations were characterized by angle-resolved photoelectron streaking in helium and optimized using a series of filters with different thicknesses to compensate the attochirp. We further developed a robust, fast-converging pulse-retrieval algorithm capable of reconstructing broadband isolated attosecond pulses and double pulses. These results establish Yb-laser-driven high-order harmonic generation as a powerful platform for bright isolated attosecond sources and next-generation ultrafast spectroscopy. The authors generate and characterize the shortest isolated light pulse ever measured-18 attoseconds-using an industrial-grade ytterbium laser, enabling bright tabletop sources for probing ultrafast electron dynamics.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-76827-3