Multiphoton transitions for delay-zero calibration in attosecond spectroscopy

Abstract

The exact delay-zero calibration in an attosecond pump-probe experiment is important for the correct interpretation of experimental data. In attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy the determination of the delay-zero exclusively from the experimental results is not straightforward and may introduce significant errors. Here, we report the observation of quarter-laser-cycle (4 ω ) oscillations in a transient absorption experiment in helium using an attosecond pulse train overlapped with a precisely synchronized, moderately strong infrared pulse. We demonstrate how to extract and calibrate the delay-zero with the help of the highly nonlinear 4 ω signal. A comparison with the solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation is used to confirm the accuracy and validity of the approach. Moreover, we study the mechanisms behind the quarter-laser-cycle and the better-known half-laser-cycle oscillations as a function of experimental parameters. This investigation yields an indication of the robustness of our delay-zero calibration approach.

Keywords

• attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy
• ultrafast spectroscopy
• multiphoton ionization
• 42.50Hz
• 42.50Md
• 32.80.Rm