High harmonic generation in solids driven by sub-cycle mid-infrared pulses from laser filamentation

Abstract

Carrier-envelope phase (CEP) controlled subcycle mid-infrared pulses from two-color laser filamentation have been applied for high harmonic (HH) generation in a crystalline silicon membrane. The HH spectrum reaches the ultraviolet region (<300 nm), beyond the direct band gap of the silicon. The shape of the HH spectrum shows the strong dependency on the CEP of the input pulse. The complete waveform characterization of the sub-cycle driver pulse with frequency-resolved optical gating capable of CEP determination is the effective method for the studies of the sub-cycle dynamics.