Opportunities for Mid-IR sources in intense-field and attosecond physics

Abstract

Intense near-infrared pulses comprising a few wave cycles centred around 800 nm had became routinely available by the turn of the millennium. They have been instrumental in controlled generation of atto-second pulses of extreme ultraviolet light, both single and pulse trains, opening the door to real-time observation of atomic-scale electron dynamics. Attosecond pulses of light are generated by first producing attosecond electron pulses during strong-field ionization of atoms or molecules. These electron pulses offer new opportunities for imaging structures with femtosecond temporal and sub-Angstrom spatial resolution. In this article we look at how these new opportunities might be influenced by the new generation of intense, few-cycle mid-infrared sources with wavelengths in 2 to 3 μm range. © 2007 Springer Netherlands.