Ultraviolet supercontinuum generation driven by ionic coherence in a strong laser field

Supercontinuum (SC) light sources hold versatile applications in many fields ranging from imaging microscopic structural dynamics to achieving frequency comb metrology. Although such broadband light sources are readily accessible in the visible and near infrared regime, the ultraviolet (UV) extensio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2022-07, Vol.13 (1), p.4080-9, Article 4080
Main Authors: Lei, Hongbin, Yao, Jinping, Zhao, Jing, Xie, Hongqiang, Zhang, Fangbo, Zhang, He, Zhang, Ning, Li, Guihua, Zhang, Qian, Wang, Xiaowei, Yang, Yan, Yuan, Luqi, Cheng, Ya, Zhao, Zengxiu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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140/125
639/766/36/1121
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Absorption spectroscopy
Broadband
Coherence
Continuum radiation
Field ionization
Humanities and Social Sciences
Ionization
Ions
Lasers
Light sources
multidisciplinary
Nitrogen ions
Optics
Quantum optics
Radiation
Resonance
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Supercontinuum (SC) light sources hold versatile applications in many fields ranging from imaging microscopic structural dynamics to achieving frequency comb metrology. Although such broadband light sources are readily accessible in the visible and near infrared regime, the ultraviolet (UV) extension of SC spectrum is still challenging. Here, we demonstrate that the joint contribution of strong field ionization and quantum resonance leads to the unexpected UV continuum radiation spanning the 100 nm bandwidth in molecular nitrogen ions. Quantum coherences in a bunch of ionic levels are found to be created by dynamic Stark-assisted multiphoton resonances following tunneling ionization. We show that the dynamical evolution of the coherence-enhanced polarization wave gives rise to laser-assisted continuum emission inside the laser field and free-induction decay after the laser field, which jointly contribute to the SC generation together with fifth harmonics. As proof of principle, we also show the application of the SC radiation in the absorption spectroscopy. This work offers an alternative scheme for constructing exotic SC sources, and opens up the territory of ionic quantum optics in the strong-field regime. Supercontinuum generation can be utilized for light source development. Here the authors demonstrate ultraviolet supercontinuum generation from ions due to strong field ionization and multiphoton resonance effect.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-31824-0