arXiv subjects

Katalin Varjú

Publications and source records attributed to Katalin Varjú.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Density-gradient effect in high-harmonic generation in gases

High-harmonic generation (HHG) in gaseous targets is the most widespread method to produce coherent extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses with sub-femtosecond duration. However, this process has intrinsically low efficiency, and substantial research and development is devoted worldwide to increase the achievable photon flux through this highly nonlinear light--matter interaction process. In this work, we show the strong interplay of phase matching and absorption in gas-pressure gradients, substantially affecting macroscopic HHG efficiency. Through detailed experimental analysis and supporting numerical studies, we highlight their significance, particularly at the boundaries of the interaction volume. The concluded results have implications in the massively expanding application possibilities of HHG sources requiring high photon flux, for example in the semiconductor industry, in nanoscale imaging of biological and industrial samples, or in nonlinear optics in the XUV regime.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

A High Intensity Attosecond Light Source in Compact Geometry at ELI ALPS User Facility

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) has become a standard technique for producing attosecond XUV pulses in the laboratory, yet the high flux necessary for nonlinear XUV photoionization remains accessible to only a few research groups. Here, we introduce the SYLOS Compact high-harmonic beamline at ELI ALPS, specifically designed to provide the flux required for non-linear optics in the XUV. We present a detailed characterization of the beam line demonstrating its capability to generate and utilize both intense attosecond pulse trains and isolated attosecond pulses. We further showcase the two-XUV-photon double ionization of neon (Ne) and argon (Ar), achieved in a user campaign. The results underscore the beamline's capability to support cutting-edge attosecond experiments and investigations of ultrafast electron dynamics on the attosecond scale.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Active stabilization for ultralong acquisitions in an attosecond pump-probe beamline

Attosecond time-resolution experiments using noncollinear interferometers require precise and active control of the optical delay to prevent instabilities - including both slow drifts and rapid vibrations - that can obscure the time evolution of the physical system under investigation. In this work, we present the design and results of stability measurements for a double interferometer setup for extreme ultraviolet-infrared pump-probe spectroscopy. The attosecond pump-probe setup is driven by a high-average-power, high-repetition-rate laser system and offers sub-optical-cycle (+/-81 as) stability with a fast feedback rate over extended periods (up to several days). Due to the noncollinear arrangement, the setup enables independent control of both amplitude and phase in the two arms even across significantly different spectral regions. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate attosecond beating in angle-resolved photoemission during two-photon, two-color photoionization, highlighting the broad potential of the system for kinematically and dynamically complete studies of atomic-scale light-matter interactions.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

MIR laser CEP estimation using machine learning concepts in bulk high harmonic generation

Monitoring the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) is of paramount importance for experiments involving few cycle intense laser fields. Common measurement techniques include f-2f interferometry or stereo-ATI setups. These approaches are adequate, but are challenging to implement on demand, at different locations as additional metrology tools, in intense few cycle laser-matter interaction experiments, such as those prevalent in sophisticated user beamlines. In addition there are inherent difficulties for CEP measured at non-conventional laser wavelengths (like e.g. mid infrared) and measurements above 10 kHz laser repetition rates, on single shot basis. Here we demonstrate both by simulations and by experiments a machine learning (ML) driven method for CEP estimation in the mid infrared, which is readily generalizable for any laser wavelength and possibly up to MHz repetition rates. The concept relies on the observation of the spectrum of high harmonic generation (HHG) in bulk material and the use of ML techniques to estimate the CEP of the laser. Once the ML model is trained, the method provides a way for cheap and compact real-time CEP tagging. This technique can complement the otherwise sophisticated monitoring of CEP, and is able to capture the complex correlation between the CEP and the observable HHG spectra.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Time Resolved Investigation of High Repetition Rate Gas Jet Target For High Harmonic Generation

High repetition rate gas targets constitute an essential component in intense laser matter interaction studies. The technology becomes challenging as the repetition rate approaches kHz regime. In this regime, cantilever based gas valves are employed, which can open and close in tens of microseconds, resulting in a unique kind of gas characteristics in both spatial and temporal domain. Here we characterize piezo cantilever based kHz pulsed gas valves in the low density regime, where it provides sufficient peak gas density for High Harmonic Generation while releasing significantly less amount of gas reducing the vacuum load within the interaction chamber, suitable for high vacuum applications. In order to obtain reliable information of the gas density in the target jet space-time resolved characterization is performed. The gas jet system is validated by conducting interferometric gas density estimations and high harmonic generation measurements at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI ALPS) facility. Our results demonstrate that while employing such targets for optimal high harmonic generation, the high intensity interaction should be confined to a suitable time window, after the cantilever opening. The measured gas density evolution correlates well with the integrated high harmonic flux and state of the art 3D simulation results, establishing the importance of such metrology.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Spectrally tunable ultrashort monochromatized extreme ultraviolet pulses at 100 kHz

We present the experimental realization of spectrally tunable, ultrashort, quasi-monochromatic extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses generated at 100 kHz repetition rate in a user-oriented gas high harmonic generation (GHHG) beamline of the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI ALPS) facility. Versatile spectral and temporal shaping of the XUV pulses are accomplished with a double-grating, time-delay compensated monochromator accommodating the two composing stages in a novel, asymmetrical geometry. This configuration supports the achievement of high monochromatic XUV flux (2.8+/-0.9*1e10 photons/s at 39.7 eV selected with 700 meV FWHM bandwidth) combined with ultrashort pulse duration (4.0+/-0.2 fs using 12.1+/-0.6 fs driving pulses) and small spot size (sub-100 um). Focusability, spectral bandwidth, and overall photon flux of the produced radiation were investigated covering a wide range of instrumental configurations. Moreover, complete temporal (intensity and phase) characterization of the few-femtosecond monochromatic XUV pulses - a goal that is difficult to achieve by conventional reconstruction techniques - has been realized using ptychographic algorithm on experimentally recorded XUV-IR pump-probe traces. The presented results contribute to in-situ, time-resolved experiments accessing direct information on the electronic structure dynamics of novel target materials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Liquid-cooled modular gas cell system for high-order harmonic generation using high average power laser systems

We present the design and implementation of a new, modular gas target suitable for high-order harmonic generation using high average power lasers. To ensure thermal stability in this high heat load environment, we implement an appropriate liquid cooling system. The system can be used in multiple-cell configurations allowing to control the cell length and aperture size. The cell design was optimized with heat and flow simulations for thermal characteristics, vacuum compatibility and generation medium properties. Finally, the cell system was experimentally validated by conducting high-order harmonic generation measurements using the 100 kHz high average power HR-1 laser system at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI ALPS) facility. Such a robust, versatile and stackable gas cell arrangement can easily be adapted to different experimental geometries in both table-top laboratory systems and user-oriented facilities, such as ELI ALPS.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Detailed study of quantum path interferences in high harmonic generation driven by chirped laser pulses

We investigate the electron quantum path interference effects during high harmonic generation in atomic gas medium driven by ultrashort chirped laser pulses. To achieve that, we identify and vary the different experimentally relevant control parameters of such a driving laser pulse influencing the high harmonic spectra. Specifically, the impact of the pulse duration, peak intensity and instantaneous frequency is studied in a self-consistent manner based on Lewenstein formalism. Simulations involving macroscopic propagation effects are also considered. The study aims to reveal the microscopic background behind a variety of interference patterns capturing important information both about the fundamental laser field and the generation process itself. The results provide guidance towards experiments with chirp control as a tool to unravel, explain and utilize the rich and complex interplay between quantum path interferences including the tuning of the periodicity of the intensity dependent oscillation of the harmonic signal, and the curvature of spectrally resolved Maker fringes.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

High-flux 100-kHz attosecond pulse source driven by a high average power annular laser beam

High-repetition-rate attosecond pulse sources are indispensable tools of time-resolved studies of electron dynamics, such as coincidence spectroscopy and experiments with high demands on statistics or signal-to-noise ratio, especially in case of solid and big molecule samples in chemistry and biology. Although with the high-repetition-rate lasers such attosecond pulses in a pump-probe configuration are possible to achieve, until now only a few such light sources have been demonstrated. Here, by shaping the driving laser to an annular beam, a 100-kHz attosecond pulse train (APT) is reported with the highest energy so far (51 pJ/shot) on target (269 pJ at generation) among the high-repetition-rate systems (> 10 kHz) in which the attosecond pulses were temporally characterized. The on-target pulse energy is maximized by reducing the losses from the reflections and filtering of the high harmonics, and an unprecedented 19% transmission rate from the generation point to the target position is achieved. At the same time, the probe beam is also annular, and low loss of this beam is reached by using another holey mirror to combine with the APT. The advantages of using an annular beam to generate attosecond pulses with a high average power laser is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically. The effect of nonlinear propagation in the generation medium on the annular-beam generation concept is also analyzed in detail.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Extended model for optimizing high-order harmonic generation in absorbing gases

We report on an extended version of the one-dimensional model proposed by Constant \emph{et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett 82(8), 1668 (1999)] to study phase matching of high-order harmonic generation in absorbing and dispersive medium. The model - expanded from zeroth to first order - can be used with media having a pressure profile varying linearly with propagation length. Based on the new formulas, the importance of having a generation medium that ends abruptly with a steep pressure gradient for achieving high flux is highlighted. In addition to further rule-of-thumb guidelines for harmonic-flux optimization, it is shown that having a steep increase of pressure in the beginning of the medium increases harmonic flux, while it also decreases the required medium length to reach the absorption-limited maximum.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

All-Optical Experimental Control of High-Harmonic Photon Energy

We generate high-order harmonics in gaseous medium with tunable photon energy using time domain interferometry of double pulses in a non-collinear generation geometry. The method is based on the fact that the generated harmonics inherit certain spectral properties of the driving laser. The two temporally delayed ultrashort laser pulses, identical in all parameters, are produced by a custom-made split-and-delay unit utilizing wave front splitting without a significant energy loss. The arrangement is easy to implement in any attosecond pulse generation beamline, and is suitable for the production of an extreme ultraviolet source with simply and quickly variable central photon energy, useful for a broad range of applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Compact intense extreme-ultraviolet source

High-intensity laser pulses covering the ultraviolet to terahertz spectral regions are nowadays routinely generated in a large number of laboratories. In contrast, intense extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses have only been demonstrated using a small number of sources including free-electron laser facilities [1-3] and long high-harmonic generation (HHG) beamlines [4-9]. Here we demonstrate a concept for a compact intense XUV source based on HHG that is focused to an intensity of $2 \times 10^{14}$ W/cm$^2$, with a potential increase up to $10^{17}$ W/cm$^2$ in the future. Our approach uses tight focusing of the near-infrared (NIR) driving laser and minimizes the XUV virtual source size by generating harmonics several Rayleigh lengths away from the NIR focus. Accordingly, the XUV pulses can be refocused to a small beam waist radius of 600 nm, enabling the absorption of up to four XUV photons by a single Ar atom in a setup that fits on a modest (2 m) laser table. Our concept represents a straightforward approach for the generation of intense XUV pulses in many laboratories, providing novel opportunities for XUV strong-field and nonlinear optics experiments, for XUV-pump XUV-probe spectroscopy and for the coherent diffractive imaging of nanoscale structures.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Generation of high-order harmonics with tunable photon energy and spectral width using double pulses

This work theoretically investigates high-order harmonic generation in rare gas atoms driven by two temporally delayed ultrashort laser pulses. Apart from their temporal delay, the two pulses are identical. Using a single-atom model of the laser-matter interaction it is shown that the photon energy of the generated harmonics is controllable within the range of one eV -- a bandwidth comparable to the photon energy of the fundamental field -- by varying the time delay between the generating laser pulses. It is also demonstrated that high-order harmonics generated by double pulses have advantageous characteristics, which mimick certain properties of an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) monochromator. With the proposed method, a simpler setup at a much lower cost and comparatively higher spectral yield can be implemented in contrast to other approaches.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

The effect of plasma-core induced self-guiding on phase matching of high-order harmonic generation in gases

In this work we numerically study a self-guiding process in which ionization plays a dominant role and analyze its effect on high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in gases. Although this type of self-guiding --- termed as plasma-core induced self-guiding in previous works --- limits the achievable cut-off by regulating the intensity of the laser beam, it provides favorable conditions for phase matching, which is indispensable for high-flux gas high-harmonic sources. To underline the role of self-guiding in efficient HHG, we investigate the time-dependent phase matching conditions in the guided beam and show how the spatio-temporally constant fundamental intensity contributes to the constructive build-up of the harmonic field in a broad photon-energy range up to the provided cut-off.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Interference-induced phenomena in high-order harmonic generation from bulk solids

We consider a quantum mechanical model for the high-order harmonic generation in bulk solids. The bandgap is assumed to be considerably larger than the exciting photon energy. Using dipole approximation, the dynamical equations for different initial Bloch states are decoupled in the velocity gauge. Although there is no quantum mechanical interference between the time evolution of different initial states, the complete harmonic radiation results from the interference of fields emitted by all the initial (valence band) states. In particular, this interference is shown to be responsible for the suppression of the even order harmonics. The number of the observable harmonics (essentially the cutoff) is also determined by electromagnetic field interference.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Micro-focusing of broadband high-order harmonic radiation by a double toroidal mirror

We present an optical system based on two toroidal mirrors in a Wolter configuration to focus broadband XUV radiation. Optimization of the focusing optics alignment is carried out with the aid of an XUV wavefront sensor. Back-propagation of the optimized wavefront to the focus yields a focal spot of 3.6$\times$4.0 $μ$m$^2$ full width at half maximum, which is consistent with ray-tracing simulations that predict a minimum size of 3.0$\times$3.2 $μ$m$^2$. This work is important for optimizing the intensity of focused high-order harmonics in order to reach the nonlinear interaction regime.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Field strength scaling in quasi-phase-matching of high-order harmonic generation by low-intensity assisting fields

High-order harmonic generation in gas targets is a widespread scheme used to produce extreme ultraviolet radiation, however, it has a limited microscopic efficiency. Macroscopic enhancement of the produced radiation relies on phase-matching, often only achievable in quasi-phase-matching arrangements. In the present work we numerically study quasi-phase-matching induced by low-intensity assisting fields. We investigate the required assisting field strength dependence on the wavelength and intensity of the driving field, harmonic order, trajectory class and period of the assisting field. We comment on the optimal spatial beam profile of the assisting field.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Quasi-phase-matching high-harmonic radiation using chirped THz pulses

High-order harmonic generation in the presence of a chirped THz pulse is investigated numerically with a complete 3D non-adiabatic model. The assisting THz pulse illuminates the HHG gas cell laterally inducing quasi-phase-matching. We demonstrate that it is possible to compensate the phase mismatch during propagation and extend the macroscopic cutoff of a propagated strong IR pulse to the single-dipole cutoff. We obtain two orders of magnitude increase in the harmonic efficiency of cutoff harmonics ($\approx$170 eV) using a THz pulse of constant wavelength, and a further factor of 3 enhancement when a chirped THz pulse is used.

physics.optics↗