Bright quasi-phase-matched soft-X-ray harmonic radiation from argon ions

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Oct 5;99(14):143901. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.143901. Epub 2007 Oct 1.

Abstract

Selective enhancement (>10(3)) of harmonics extending to the water window (approximately 4 nm) generated in an argon gas filled straight bore capillary waveguide is demonstrated. This enhancement is in good agreement with modeling which indicates that multimode quasi-phase-matching is achieved by rapid axial intensity modulations caused by beating between the fundamental and higher-order capillary modes. Substantial pulse energies (>10 nJ per pulse per harmonic order) at wavelengths beyond the carbon K edge (approximately 4.37 nm, approximately 284 eV) up to approximately 360 eV are observed from argon ions for the first time.