Optimizing High Harmonic Generation in Absorbing Gases: Model and Experiment

E. Constant; D. Garzella; P. Breger; E. Mével; Ch. Dorrer; C. Le Blanc; F. Salin; P. Agostini

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1668

Optimizing High Harmonic Generation in Absorbing Gases: Model and Experiment

E. Constant, D. Garzella, P. Breger, E. Mével, Ch. Dorrer, C. Le Blanc, F. Salin, and P. Agostini

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 1668 – Published 22 February 1999

Abstract

We study high-order harmonic generation in the general case of absorbing and dispersive atomic gas media. For ultrashort laser pulses, the harmonic conversion efficiency tends to a limit mainly imposed by the harmonic reabsorption in the gas. This limit, independent on the gas density, is the same for both the case of a loosely focused beam or a beam guided in a gas-filled hollow-core fiber. Under optimum conditions, we measured the highest conversion efficiency to date $(4 \times 10^{- 5})$ for the 15th harmonic generated in xenon using a 40 fs, 1.5 mJ, 800 nm pulse at a 1 kHz repetition rate.

Received 21 September 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1668

Authors & Affiliations

E. Constant¹, D. Garzella², P. Breger², E. Mével¹, Ch. Dorrer³, C. Le Blanc³, F. Salin¹, and P. Agostini²

¹ELIA/CPMOH, Université Bordeaux 1, Cours de la Libération, 33405 Talence, France
²Services des Photons, Atomes et Molécules DSM-DRECAM, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-yvette, France
³Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA-Ecole-Polytechnique, 91761 Palaiseau, France