Abstract
The emerging research field of attosecond science allows for the temporal investigation of one of the fastest dynamics in nature: electron dynamics in matter. These dynamics are responsible for chemical and biological processes, and the ability to understand and control them opens a new door of fundamental science, with the possibility to influence all lives if medical issues can thereby be addressed. Multilayer optics are key elements in attosecond experiments; they are used to tailor attosecond pulses with well-defined characteristics to facilitate detailed and accurate insight into processes, e.g., photoemission, Auger decay, or (core-) excitons. Based on the investigations and research efforts from the past several years, multilayer mirrors today are routinely used optical elements in attosecond beamlines. As a consequence, the generation of ultrashort pulses, combined with their dispersion control, has proceeded from the femtosecond range in the visible/infrared spectra to the attosecond range, covering the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray photon range up to the water window. This article reviews our work on multilayer optics over the past several years, as well as the impact from other research groups, to reflect on the scientific background of their nowadays routine use in attosecond physics.
Highlights
IntroductionMultilayer-based optics have been developed into well-established optical components for steering [1], focusing [2], polarizing [3] and spectral filtering [4] of extreme ultraviolet (EUV)/softX-ray radiation since its first description by Spiller in 1976 [5].Their significant advantage compared with single-surface grazing incidence optics (working in total external reflection) lies in an increased glancing angle (even up to near-normal incidence), larger collection angle, better imaging performance (due to decreased astigmatism), and tailored spectral filtering
Multilayer-based optics have been developed into well-established optical components for steering [1], focusing [2], polarizing [3] and spectral filtering [4] of extreme ultraviolet (EUV)/softX-ray radiation since its first description by Spiller in 1976 [5].Their significant advantage compared with single-surface grazing incidence optics lies in an increased glancing angle, larger collection angle, better imaging performance, and tailored spectral filtering
In normal incidence setups, the question of the shortest possible attosecond pulses is directly connected to the availability of appropriate optics, namely, EUV multilayer mirrors and filters
Summary
Multilayer-based optics have been developed into well-established optical components for steering [1], focusing [2], polarizing [3] and spectral filtering [4] of extreme ultraviolet (EUV)/softX-ray radiation since its first description by Spiller in 1976 [5].Their significant advantage compared with single-surface grazing incidence optics (working in total external reflection) lies in an increased glancing angle (even up to near-normal incidence), larger collection angle, better imaging performance (due to decreased astigmatism), and tailored spectral filtering. Multilayer-based optics have been developed into well-established optical components for steering [1], focusing [2], polarizing [3] and spectral filtering [4] of extreme ultraviolet (EUV)/soft. X-ray radiation since its first description by Spiller in 1976 [5]. Their significant advantage compared with single-surface grazing incidence optics (working in total external reflection) lies in an increased glancing angle (even up to near-normal incidence), larger collection angle, better imaging performance (due to decreased astigmatism), and tailored spectral filtering. In many cases, multilayer reflectors do not reach the high reflectance values of grazing incidence mirrors and are limited to peak reflectances slightly above 70% at best, mainly due to absorption and scattering losses [6].
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