Generation of Coherent Tunable Picosecond Pulses in the XUV

Abstract

Coherent extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation is useful in a wide range of applications to physical measurements including areas such as high resolution spectroscopy [1] and solid state surface studies [2]. Nonlinear optical processes, in which ultraviolet radiation serves as the fundamental, have been proven [3–5] to be an efficient means of upconverting ultraviolet laser radiation to the XUV spectral range. Furthermore, excimer lasers, which serve as attractive sources of radiation at 193 nm and 248 nm, have demonstrated [6–8] performance essentially at the fundamental limits governing spectral brightness. Naturally, the peak power of these high brightness systems can be very greatly increased, if the energy can be extracted in a short pulse. In this paper we report the development of such a source and the generation of coherent, tunable, narrow linewidth radiation in the XUV using the radiation from this laser system.