Strong-field coherent control of isolated attosecond pulse generation

Attosecond science promises to reveal fundamental electronic dynamics in matter and can progress by achieving two linked goals in high-order harmonic sources: improved spectral tunability and higher photon flux. Parametric waveform synthesis provides control over field transients, enabling highly tunable isolated attosecond pulses via high-harmonic generation. Here we demonstrate that central energy, spectral bandwidth/shape, and temporal duration of isolated attosecond pulses can be controlled by shaping the laser waveform with two key parameters: the relative phase between two halves of a multi-octave spectrum and the overall carrier-envelope phase. These results expand experimental possibilities in attosecond science and demonstrate coherent strong-field control of free-electron trajectories using tailored optical waveforms.

Yudong Yang, Roland E. Mainz, Giulio Maria Rossi, Fabian Scheiba, Miguel A. Silva-Toledo, Phillip D. Keathley, Giovanni Cirmi, Franz X. Kärtner