Quantum mechanics

Phase (matter)

Voltage

High harmonic generation

Bandwidth (computing)

Statistics

Waveform

Coherent control

Telecommunications

Computer science

Laser

Physics

Harmonic spectrum

Mathematics

Octave (electronics)

Optics

Parametric statistics

Femtosecond

Relative phase

Attosecond

Ultrashort pulse

Nature Communications

Attosecond science promises to reveal the most fundamental electronic dynamics occurring in matter and it can develop further by meeting two linked technological goals related to high-order harmonic sources: improved spectral tunability (allowing selectivity in addressing electronic transitions) and higher photon flux (permitting to measure low cross-section processes). New developments come through parametric waveform synthesis, which provides control over the shape of field transients, enabling the creation of highly-tunable isolated attosecond pulses via high-harmonic generation. Here we demonstrate that the first goal is fulfilled since central energy, spectral bandwidth/shape and temporal duration of isolated attosecond pulses can be controlled by shaping the laser waveform via two key parameters: the relative-phase between two halves of the multi-octave spanning spectrum, and the overall carrier-envelope phase. These results not only promise to expand the experimental possibilities in attosecond science, but also demonstrate coherent strong-field control of free-electron trajectories using tailored optical waveforms.

Strong-field coherent control of isolated attosecond pulse generation