Femtosecond

About: Femtosecond is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 35106 publications have been published within this topic receiving 691405 citations. The topic is also known as: 1 E-15 s & fs.

Femtosecond time-resolved studies of the dynamics of noble-gas cluster explosions

Abstract: We have examined the dynamics of noble-gas clusters, heated with high-intensity laser radiation, using pump-probe experiments to temporally resolve the expansion of the clusters. Absorption of the probe radiation is observed to reach a maximum for a particular time delay between pump and probe, dependent on the cluster size. For single-pulse experiments, we find that there is an optimal pulse width to maximize absorption for a given cluster size. Model calculations suggest that these effects are due to resonant heating of the spherical cluster plasma in full support of a hydrodynamic interpretation of cluster interactions.

Noncollinearly phase-matched femtosecond optical parametric amplification with a 2000 cm -1 bandwidth

Abstract: An optical parametric amplifier generating as short as 14 fs pulses in a visible region has been constructed in a noncollinear phase-matching configuration. The group-velocity matching between the signal and idler enormously broadens the gain bandwidth up to 2000 cm−1, which is mainly limited by the chirp of the seed pulses. Pulses shorter than 20 fs are tunable from 550 to 690 nm by scanning the delay-line of the pump beam.

Interferences of ultrashort free electron wave packets.

Abstract: Interferences of free electron wave packets generated by a pair of identical, time-delayed, femtosecond laser pulses which ionize excited atomic potassium have been observed. Two different schemes are investigated: threshold electrons produced by one-photon ionization with parallel laser polarization and above threshold ionization electrons produced by a two-photon transition with crossed laser polarization. Our results show that the temporal coherence of light pulses is transferred to free electron wave packets, thus opening the door to a whole variety of exciting experiments.

Ultrafast magnetization reversal by picosecond electrical pulses

Abstract: The field of spintronics involves the study of both spin and charge transport in solid-state devices. Ultrafast magnetism involves the use of femtosecond laser pulses to manipulate magnetic order on subpicosecond time scales. We unite these phenomena by using picosecond charge current pulses to rapidly excite conduction electrons in magnetic metals. We observe deterministic, repeatable ultrafast reversal of the magnetization of a GdFeCo thin film with a single sub–10-ps electrical pulse. The magnetization reverses in ~10 ps, which is more than one order of magnitude faster than any other electrically controlled magnetic switching, and demonstrates a fundamentally new electrical switching mechanism that does not require spin-polarized currents or spin-transfer/orbit torques. The energy density required for switching is low, projecting to only 4 fJ needed to switch a (20 nm) 3 cell. This discovery introduces a new field of research into ultrafast charge current–driven spintronic phenomena and devices.

Femtosecond nanofocusing with full optical waveform control.

Abstract: The simultaneous nanometer spatial confinement and femtosecond temporal control of an optical excitation has been a long-standing challenge in optics. Previous approaches using surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonant nanostructures or SPP waveguides have suffered from, for example, mode mismatch, or possible dependence on the phase of the driving laser field to achieve spatial localization. Here we take advantage of the intrinsic phase- and amplitude-independent nanofocusing ability of a conical noble metal tip with weak wavelength dependence over a broad bandwidth to achieve a 10 nm spatially and few-femtosecond temporally confined excitation. In combination with spectral pulse shaping and feedback on the second-harmonic response of the tip apex, we demonstrate deterministic arbitrary optical waveform control. In addition, the high efficiency of the nanofocusing tip provided by the continuous micro- to nanoscale mode transformation opens the door for spectroscopy of elementary optical excitations in matter on their natural length and time scales and enables applications from ultrafast nano-opto-electronics to single molecule quantum coherent control.