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Attosecond metrology

Nature volume 414, pages 509–513 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

The generation of ultrashort pulses is a key to exploring the dynamic behaviour of matter on ever-shorter timescales. Recent developments have pushed the duration of laser pulses close to its natural limit—the wave cycle, which lasts somewhat longer than one femtosecond (1 fs = 10-15 s) in the visible spectral range. Time-resolved measurements with these pulses are able to trace dynamics of molecular structure, but fail to capture electronic processes occurring on an attosecond (1 as = 10-18 s) timescale. Here we trace electronic dynamics with a time resolution of ≤ 150 as by using a subfemtosecond soft-X-ray pulse and a few-cycle visible light pulse. Our measurement indicates an attosecond response of the atomic system, a soft-X-ray pulse duration of 650 ± 150 as and an attosecond synchronism of the soft-X-ray pulse with the light field. The demonstrated experimental tools and techniques open the door to attosecond spectroscopy of bound electrons.

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Figure 1: The principle of measuring cross-correlation between light electric field and X-ray intensity with attosecond resolution by means of ‘two-colour’ photoionization.
Figure 2: Diagram of the principal physical effects and processes preceding our light-field-controlled X-ray photoemission experiment.
Figure 3: Kr 4p photoelectron spectra produced by ∼90-eV soft-X-ray pulses in the presence of a strong visible light field at two different delays td of the X-ray pulse.
Figure 4: Cross-correlation of X-ray pulse with few-cycle laser pulse.
Figure 5: Spectral width ΔW of the Kr 4p photoelectron spectra as a function of td.
Figure 6: Calculated far-field, near-axis temporal intensity profile of a soft-X-ray pulse.
Figure 7: Calculated (line) and measured (dots) instantaneous frequency of the few-cycle light field.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Uiberacker for assistance with measurements, and Y. Lim and U. Kleineberg for manufacturing the X-ray multilayer mirror. Discussions with M. Ivanov are gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund and by the European ATTO network.

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Author notes

  1. M. Hentschel, R. Kienberger, U. Heinzmann and M. Drescher: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Photonik, Technische Universität Wien, Gusshausstr. 27, Wien, A-1040, Austria

    M. Hentschel, R. Kienberger, Ch. Spielmann, G. A. Reider, N. Milosevic, T. Brabec & F. Krausz

  2. Steacie Institute of Molecular Sciences, NRC Canada, Ottawa, K1A 0R6, Canada

    P. Corkum

  3. Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, D-33615, Germany

    U. Heinzmann & M. Drescher

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  1. M. Hentschel
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  2. R. Kienberger
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  4. G. A. Reider
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  5. N. Milosevic
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Correspondence to F. Krausz.

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Hentschel, M., Kienberger, R., Spielmann, C. et al. Attosecond metrology. Nature 414, 509–513 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35107000

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