We measure for the first time the duration of long-quantum path EUV high harmonics produced in xenon gas. The long-quantum path contribution to the high-harmonic signal was carefully controlled by employing a two-colour driving laser field and a high-harmonic spatial selection in the far field, over a range of $18-25\,eV$ in photon energy. To characterise the temporal profile of long quantum path high harmonics, we performed a second order volume autocorrelation ($2-IVAC$) via two EUV photon double ionization in argon. Our results show the production and characterisation of a train of EUV pulses from the long-path with pulse duration as short as $1.4\,fs$. This measurement demonstrates that the long-quantum path emission can have enough flux for performing non-linear EUV experiments, and that the long trajectories enable a pulse duration short enough to support measurements with a temporal resolution below $2\,fs$.

We report the observation of multiple ionization of argon through multi-XUV-photon absorption induced by an unprecedentedly powerful laser driven high-order harmonic generation source. Comparing the measured intensity dependence of the yield of the different argon charge states with numerical calculations we can infer the different channels---direct and sequential---underlying the interaction. While such studies were feasible so far only with free electron laser (FEL) sources, this paper connects highly nonlinear XUV processes with the ultrashort time scales inherent to the harmonic pulses and highlights the advanced perspectives of emerging large scale laser research infrastructures.

Summary form only given. We demonstrate a tool for quantitative measurements in the linear and non-linear extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral region measuring spatially resolved atomic ionization products at the focus of an XUV beam [1, 2]. The ionizing radiation is a comb of the 11th-15th harmonics of a Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser beam produced in a Xenon gas jet. The spatial ion distribution at the focus of the harmonics is recorded using an ion microscope detector [2, 3]. Spatially resolved single- and two-photon ionization products of Argon and Helium are observed. From such ion distributions single- and two-photon generalized cross sections have be extracted by a self-calibrating method. This is the first observation of spatially resolved two-XUV-photon ionization at the focus of the XUV radiation which constitutes an important step towards future single-shot temporal characterization of attosecond (asec) pulses [4].

We demonstrate a tool for quantitative measurements in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region measuring spatially resolved atomic ionization products at the focus of an EUV beam. The ionizing radiation is a comb of the 11 th –15 th harmonics of a Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser beam produced in a Xenon gas jet. The spatial ion distribution at the focus of the harmonics is recorded using an ion microscope. Spatially resolved single- and two-photon ionization products of Argon and Helium are observed. From such ion distributions single- and two-photon generalized cross sections can be extracted by a self-calibrating method. The observation of spatially resolved two-EUV-photon ionization constitutes an initial step towards future single-shot temporal characterization of attosecond pulses.

We developed an efficient, tailored optimization method for attopulse generation using a light-field-synthesizer [M. Hassan et al., Nature 530, 66 (2016)]. We adapted genetic optimization of single-cycle and sub-cycle waveforms to attosecond pulse generation and achieved significantly improved convergence to many target attosecond pulse shapes. Importantly, we show that the single-atom approach (based on strong field approximation) gives similar results to the more complex and numerically intensive 3D model of the attopulse generation process and that spectrally tunable attosecond pulses can be produced with a light-field synthesizer.

We demonstrate control over attosecond pulse generation and shaping by numerically optimizing the synthesis of few-cycle to sub-cycle driver waveforms. The optical waveform synthesis takes place in an ultrabroad spectral band covering the ultraviolet-infrared domain. These optimized driver waves are used for ultrashort single and double attosecond pulse production (with tunable separation) revealing the potentials of the light wave synthesizer device demonstrated by Wirth et al. [Science 334, 195 (2011)]. The results are also analyzed with respect to attosecond pulse propagation phenomena.

Surface plasmon enhanced electron acceleration is a recently discovered efficient particle acceleration phenomenon in the nanoscale-confined field of surface electromagnetic waves. For the generation and spatial/spectral control of keV-energy electrons generated. this way few-cycle laser pulses can be utilized particularly well. We present numerical results based on a simple model of this phenomenon analogous to the three-step model of high harmonic, generation. We identify those parameter regimes where the emitted electron beam is highly directional and monoenergetic opening the door to novel ultrafast applications and methods.