Optimization of temporal gate by two-color chirped lasers for the generation of isolated attosecond pulse in soft X rays

Abstract

We propose a simple and efficient method to optimize two-color chirped laser pulses by forming a “temporal gate” for the generation of isolated attosecond pulses (IAPs) in soft X rays. We show that the generation process for higher and cutoff harmonics can be effectively limited within the temporal gate, and the harmonic emission interval can be further reduced with the help of phase-matching by only selecting the contribution from short-trajectory electrons. This two-color gating mechanism is verified by increasing the pulse duration, raising the gas pressure, and extending the target cutoff. Compared to the five-color waveform in Phys. Rev. Lett.102, 063003 (2009)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.102.063003, our waveform can be used to generate the IAP in the long-duration laser pulse while the cutoff energy is higher without the reduction of harmonic yields. Our work provides an alternative temporal gating scheme for the generation of IAPs by simultaneously improving the harmonic conversion efficiency, thus making the attosecond soft X rays an intense and highly time-resolved tabletop light source for future applications.