High-Order Harmonic Generation and Plasmonics

Summary, in English

Attosecond pulses allow for imaging of very fast processes, like electron dynamics. Stockman et al. suggested to use these pulses in connection with a Photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) to study the ultrafast dynamics of plasmons (Stockman et al. Nat Photonics 1:539–544, 2007). For efficient plasmon studies, the repetition rate of the attosecond pulses used needs to be higher than a few kHz (Mikkelsen et al. Rev Sci Instrum 80:123703, 2009). Attosecond pulses are produced in a process called high-order harmonic generation (HHG) (Paul et al. Science 292(5522):1689–1692, 2001; Ferray et al. J Phys B At Mol Opt Phys 21:L31–L35, 1988). In HHG, a strong laser field allows an electron to tunnel out, get accelerated and recombine with a high kinetic energy resulting in extreme ultraviolet attosecond pulses. The large intensity needed to drive the process normally limits the repetition rate of the laser to a few kHz. Using a tight focusing scheme (Heyl et al. Phys Rev Lett 107:033903, 2011; Vernaleken et al. Opt Lett 36:3428–3430, 2011), we, however, generate harmonics at a repetition rate of 200 kHz, both with a commercial turn-key laser and with an advanced laser system. Suitable nanostructures for a strong field enhancement are produced in-house and the field enhancement is studied with PEEM in a non-time resolved manner. With high-order harmonics produced at a high repetition rate, we hope to be able to follow also the ultrafast dynamics of plasmons in these structures (Mårsell et al. Ann der Phys 525:162–170, 2013).