Attosecond recorder of the polarization state of light

Nature Communications
Álvaro Jiménez-GalánMisha Ivanov

Abstract

High harmonic generation in multi-color laser fields opens the opportunity of generating isolated attosecond pulses with high ellipticity. Such pulses hold the potential for time-resolving chiral electronic, magnetization, and spin dynamics at their natural timescale. However, this potential cannot be realized without characterizing the exact polarization state of light on the attosecond timescale. Here we propose and numerically demonstrate a complete solution of this problem. Our solution exploits the extrinsic two-dimensional chirality induced in an atom interacting with the chiral attosecond pulse and a linearly polarized infrared probe. The resulting asymmetry in the photoelectron spectra allows to reconstruct the complete polarization state of the attosecond pulse, including its possible time dependence. The challenging problem of distinguishing circularly polarized, partially polarized, or unpolarized pulses in the extreme ultraviolet range is also resolved. We expect this approach to become the core ingredient for attosecond measurements of chiral-sensitive processes in gas and condensed phase.

References

Dec 6, 2001·Nature·M HentschelF Krausz
May 15, 2002·Physical Review Letters·J ItataniP B Corkum
Aug 31, 2004·Science·E GoulielmakisF Krausz
Oct 26, 2007·Nature·A L CavalieriU Heinzmann
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Dec 21, 2011·Physical Review Letters·Misha Ivanov, Olga Smirnova
Dec 12, 2012·Nature·Martin SchultzeFerenc Krausz
Mar 21, 2013·Nature Materials·Jean-Yves Bigot
Nov 5, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tingting FanHenry C Kapteyn

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