A high-intensity highly coherent soft X-ray femtosecond laser seeded by a high harmonic beam

Ph. Zeitoun (), G. Faivre, S. Sebban, T. Mocek, A. Hallou, M. Fajardo, D. Aubert, Ph. Balcou, F. Burgy, D. Douillet, S. Kazamias, G. de Lachèze-Murel, T. Lefrou, S. le Pape, P. Mercère, H. Merdji, A. S. Morlens, J. P. Rousseau and C. Valentin
Additional contact information
Ph. Zeitoun: chemin de la Hunière
G. Faivre: chemin de la Hunière
S. Sebban: chemin de la Hunière
T. Mocek: chemin de la Hunière
A. Hallou: chemin de la Hunière
M. Fajardo: Instituto Superior Técnico
D. Aubert: CEA/DIF
Ph. Balcou: chemin de la Hunière
F. Burgy: chemin de la Hunière
D. Douillet: chemin de la Hunière
S. Kazamias: Université Paris-Sud
G. de Lachèze-Murel: CEA/DIF
T. Lefrou: chemin de la Hunière
S. le Pape: École Polytechnique
P. Mercère: chemin de la Hunière
H. Merdji: Centre d'Études de Saclay
A. S. Morlens: chemin de la Hunière
J. P. Rousseau: chemin de la Hunière
C. Valentin: chemin de la Hunière

Nature, 2004, vol. 431, issue 7007, 426-429

Abstract: Abstract Synchrotrons have for decades provided invaluable sources of soft X-rays, the application of which has led to significant progress in many areas of science and technology. But future applications of soft X-rays—in structural biology, for example—anticipate the need for pulses with much shorter duration (femtoseconds) and much higher energy (millijoules) than those delivered by synchrotrons. Soft X-ray free-electron lasers1 should fulfil these requirements but will be limited in number; the pressure on beamtime is therefore likely to be considerable. Laser-driven soft X-ray sources offer a comparatively inexpensive and widely available alternative, but have encountered practical bottlenecks in the quest for high intensities. Here we establish and characterize a soft X-ray laser chain that shows how these bottlenecks can in principle be overcome. By combining the high optical quality available from high-harmonic laser sources (as a seed beam) with a highly energetic soft X-ray laser plasma amplifier, we produce a tabletop soft X-ray femtosecond laser operating at 10 Hz and exhibiting full saturation, high energy, high coherence and full polarization. This technique should be readily applicable on all existing laser-driven soft X-ray facilities.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02883

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