Generation of VUV frequency combs in femtosecond enhancement cavity

Abstract

This dissertation is on the development of a laser system for the generation of femtosecond frequency combs in the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) via intracavity high-harmonic generation (HHG). The HHG process yields coherent vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light resulting from the ionization of noble gases driven by intense near-IR femtosecond frequency combs in an optical enhancement cavity. An injection locked amplification cavity (fsAC) was developed in order to generate a high power femtosecond frequency combs based on a Ti:Sapphire oscillator. Detailed amplifier performance was investigated in order to evaluate the coherence of the pulse amplification process. A passive power enhancement cavity for fs pulses (fsEC) was designed for intracavity high harmonic generation. For maximum power enhancement and conversion efficiency, the intracavity dispersion was compensated and various design layouts tested. A careful analysis of the phase matching conditions was performed, taking into account the effect of reabsorption of the generated high harmonic light, to compare different cavity geometries and determine which would produce the most efficient harmonic yield. Numerical simulations were also performed to determine the level of intra-cavity ionization that could be sustained before disrupting the pulse enhancement process. Based on the results of these simulations and calculations, it was determined that for a xenon gas target, a moderate peak intensity of the order of ~ 5×10¹³W/cm² produces harmonics most efficiently.