A model is presented which demonstrates that the attosecond pulse structure of a High Harmonic Generation (HHG) seed may be retained through to saturation in an FEL amplifier. At wavelengths of ~12nm a train of attosecond pulses of widths ~300 attoseconds with peak powers in excess of 1 GW are predicted from full 3D simulation. Methods for improving these results are discussed.
Attosecond pulses are fundamental for the investigation of valence and core-electron dynamics on their natural timescale. At present the reproducible generation and characterisation of attosecond waveforms has been demonstrated only through the proce
ss of high-order harmonic generation. Several methods for the shaping of attosecond waveforms have been proposed, including metallic filters, multilayer mirrors and manipulation of the driving field. However, none of these approaches allow for the flexible manipulation of the temporal characteristics of the attosecond waveforms, and they suffer from the low conversion efficiency of the high-order harmonic generation process. Free Electron Lasers, on the contrary, deliver femtosecond, extreme ultraviolet and X-ray pulses with energies ranging from tens of $mathrm{mu}$J to a few mJ. Recent experiments have shown that they can generate sub-fs spikes, but with temporal characteristics that change shot-to-shot. Here we show the first demonstration of reproducible generation of high energy ($mathrm{mu}$J level) attosecond waveforms using a seeded Free Electron Laser. We demonstrate amplitude and phase manipulation of the harmonic components of an attosecond pulse train in combination with a novel approach for its temporal reconstruction. The results presented here open the way to perform attosecond time-resolved experiments with Free Electron Lasers.
We report on the phase-locking of two diode lasers based on self-seeded tapered amplifiers. In these lasers, a reduction of linewidth is achieved using narrow-band high-transmission interference filters for frequency selection. The lasers combine a c
ompact design with a Lorentzian linewidth below 200 kHz at an output power of 300 mW. We characterize the phase noise of the phase-locked laser system and study its potential for coherent beam-splitting in atom interferometers.
We examine how the generation and propagation of high-order harmonics in a partly ionized gas medium affect their strength and synchronization. The temporal properties of the resulting attosecond pulses generated in long gas targets can be significan
tly influenced by macroscopic effects, in particular by the intensity in the medium and the degree of ionization. Under some conditions, the use of gas targets longer than the absorption length can lead to the generation of self-compressed attosecond pulses. We show this effect experimentally, using long argon-filled gas cells as generating medium.
A new three dimensional model of the FEL is presented. A system of scaled, coupled Maxwell Lorentz equations are derived in the paraxial limit. A minimal number of limiting assumptions are made and the equations are not averaged in the longitudinal d
irection of common radiation/ electron beam propagation, allowing the effects of coherent spontaneous emission and non-localised electron propagation to be modelled. The equations are solved numerically using a parallel Fourier split-step method.
The two basic approaches underlying the metrology of attosecond pulse trains are compared, i.e. the 2nd order Intensity Volume Autocorrelation and the Resolution of Attosecond Beating by Interference of Two photon Transitions (RABITT). They give rath
er dissimilar results with respect to the measured pulse durations. It is concluded that RABITT may underestimate the duration due to variations of the driving intensity, but in conjunction with theory, allows an estimation of the relative contributions of two different electron trajectories to the extreme-ultraviolet emission.