Work

Phase-matching in high-order harmonic generation with a plasma-reshaped driving field

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: The transition from titanium-sapphire to ytterbium-based laser technology enables turnkey implementations of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) setups at high repetition rates, opening up new applications, e.g., in semiconductor metrology. This, however, requires exploring and understanding the impact of new experimental conditions. Here, we study HHG in neon over the spectral range 8-17 nm with high spectral resolution, using a post-compressed ytterbium laser. Our measurements reveal a large pulse-energy- and pressure-dependent spectral shift, spanning more than two harmonic orders. The femto-chirp of the harmonic emission combined with the blueshift of the fundamental field allows us to relate the observed spectral shifts to the temporal window of harmonic generation, which is determined by phase-matching. To understand these dynamics, it is essential to consider the reshaping of the driving laser field inside the plasma, despite the low driving intensity and long pulse duration. We introduce an on-axis phase-matching description that captures these effects and reproduces the experimental and simulated trends. These results demonstrate the central role of plasma-induced laser reshaping in phase-matching of HHG, which should be accounted for when optimizing sources in a multi-parameter landscape.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2610.04653

Authors: Beaufort, Gaspard, Poulain, Venus, Redon, Melvin, Weissenbilder, Robin, Appi, Elisa, Salbrink, Filip, Westerberg, Saga, Ross, Aimee J., Abbing, Sylvianne Roscam, O'Dwyer, David P., Tao, Yin, Eng-Johnsson, Per, Arnold, Cord L., L'Huillier, Anne, Smorenburg, Peter, Viotti, Anne-Lise

Institutions: Lund University, ASML (Netherlands)

Language: English

Topic: Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Wallenberg Center for Quantum Technology, Chalmers University of Technology

Awards: Ultrafast dynamics in intermolecular energy transfer: elementary processes in aerosols and liquid chemistry, Nya ickelinjära optiska plattformar för avancerade material, New trends in attosecond science, Charge and structural dynamics in molecules - towards Attochemistry, Ultrafast optical technologies at high repetition rates, High repetition rate and high photon energy attosecond pulse sources for time-resolved spectroscopy and imaging, G988628021

OpenAlex ID: W7220668728

Cites: 3

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Related to: 10