Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: High-harmonic generation (HHG) in gaseous targets is the most widespread method to produce coherent extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses with sub-femtosecond duration. However, this process has intrinsically low efficiency, and substantial research and development is devoted worldwide to increase the achievable photon flux through this highly nonlinear light--matter interaction process. In this work, we show the strong interplay of phase matching and absorption in gas-pressure gradients, substantially affecting macroscopic HHG efficiency. Through detailed experimental analysis and supporting numerical studies, we highlight their significance, particularly at the boundaries of the interaction volume. The concluded results have implications in the massively expanding application possibilities of HHG sources requiring high photon flux, for example in the semiconductor industry, in nanoscale imaging of biological and industrial samples, or in nonlinear optics in the XUV regime.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G5017635489, G544152971, G6765981656
OpenAlex ID: W7204824980
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: