Laser stability method advances precision control of electrons with light

Researchers at the University of Oldenburg's Institute of Physics are developing techniques for precise control of electric light fields, enabling manipulation of individual electron dynamics in experiments. A team led by Dr. Jan Vogelsang from the Attosecond Microscopy research group has now achieved a significant milestone by creating a laser system that emits 200,000 light pulses per second.

The study, published in Applied Physics B—Lasers and Optics, details the laser system's remarkable stability, with the light wave's position remaining virtually unchanged over extended periods.

The laser system, a collaboration between Oldenburg researchers and a group led by Nobel laureate Anne L'Huillier at Lund University, Sweden, generates infrared light pulses. These pulses maintain their stability over a range of timescales, from microseconds to hours. The key factor behind this stability is the carrier-envelope phase (CEP), which defines the exact shape of the light wave and determines the position of peaks and troughs within each pulse.

Without a stable CEP, subsequent light pulses would differ, rendering controlled experiments using pulse fields impossible.

The team's findings surpass expectations, as the high stability of the CEP was unexpected, given its sensitivity to temperature fluctuations, air movements, and vibrations. The researchers' meticulous laser setup and Oldenburg's attosecond lab's exceptional conditions contributed to this remarkable stability. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for conducting previously unmeasurable experiments involving electron response to laser pulses, potentially paving the way for ultrafast transistor development and other cutting-edge devices.