Probing ultrafast dynamics with attosecond transient absorption

Abstract

The broad bandwidth of an isolated attosecond pulse excites a vast number of states simultaneously, and the corresponding absorption features can be monitored with exceptional temporal resolution. Novel transient absorption experiments in gases using isolated attosecond pulses are performed in two regimes, one in which the attosecond pulse is overlapped in time with a near-infrared (NIR) pulse and one in which the NIR pulse follows the attosecond pulse. In the latter regime, the attosecond pulse first interacts with a sample, then the observed absorption features are modified by a NIR pulse, which interacts with the sample well after the attosecond pulse has passed. In these experiments, which seem counterintuitive when compared to conventional transient absorption spectroscopy, the weak attosecond pulse induces a polarization of the medium, which is then perturbed by the time-delayed NIR pulse. Recent measurements demonstrate the rich variety of information that can be extracted in this regime.