Professor Simon Hooker

Abstract:

A new class of quasi-phase matching high harmonic generation is proposed where the polarization of the driving field is controlled in a waveguide. The first circularly polarized quasi-phase matched source is shown to be possible. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013.

Abstract:

We investigate quasi-phase-matching over a range of harmonic orders using trains of up to 8 uniformly-spaced counter-propagating pulses. For trains of up to 4 pulses the measured enhancement of the harmonic signal scales with the number of pulses N as (N+1)2, as expected. However, for trains with N > 4, no further enhancement of the harmonic signal is observed. The effect is ascribed to changes in the coherence length with the generating medium. The pressure dependence of quasi-phase-matching is also investigated and it is found that additional peaks in the harmonic intensity are consistent with higher-order QPM processes. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013.

Abstract:

We present a technique for measuring the transverse spatial properties of an optical wavefront. Intensity and phase profiles are recovered by analysis of a series of interference patterns produced by the combination of a scanning X-shaped slit and a static horizontal slit; the spatial coherence may be found from the same data. We demonstrate the technique by characterizing high harmonic radiation generated in a gas cell, however the method could be extended to a wide variety of light sources.