Intense attosecond pulses carrying orbital angular momentum using laser plasma interactions

J. W. Wang (), M. Zepf () and S. G. Rykovanov ()
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J. W. Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
M. Zepf: Helmholtz Institute Jena
S. G. Rykovanov: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Light beams with helical phase-fronts are known to carry orbital angular momentum (OAM) and provide an additional degree of freedom to beams of coherent light. While OAM beams can be readily derived from Gaussian laser beams with phase plates or gratings, this is far more challenging in the extreme ultra-violet (XUV), especially for the case of high XUV intensity. Here, we theoretically and numerically demonstrate that intense surface harmonics carrying OAM are naturally produced by the intrinsic dynamics of a relativistically intense circularly-polarized Gaussian beam (i.e. non-vortex) interacting with a target at normal incidence. Relativistic surface oscillations convert the laser pulses to intense XUV harmonic radiation via the well-known relativistic oscillating mirror mechanism. We show that the azimuthal and radial dependence of the harmonic generation process converts the spin angular momentum of the laser beam to orbital angular momentum resulting in an intense attosecond pulse (or pulse train) with OAM.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13357-1

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