Observation of a train of attosecond pulses from high harmonic generation

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Reference P.M. Paul, E.S. Toma, P. Breger, G. Mullot, F. Augé, P. Balcou, H.G. Muller and Pierre Agostini, Observation of a train of attosecond pulses from high harmonic generation, Science 292, 1689-1692 (2001)

In principle, the temporal beating of superposed high harmonics obtained by focusing a femtosecond laser pulse in a gas jet can produce a train of very short intensity spikes, depending on the relative phases of the harmonics. We present a method to measure such phases through two-photon, two-color photoionization. We found that the harmonics are locked in phase and form a train of 250-attosecond pulses in the time domain. Harmonic generation may be a promising source for attosecond time-resolved measurements.