This dissertation explores frequency comb spectroscopy and, in particular, its extension to the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) wavelength regimes through a technique called intracavity high harmonic generation (IHHG). By combining the techniques of passive pulse amplification in an enhancement cavity with high harmonic generation, IHHG enables the direct conversion of near-infrared radiation to the VUV/XUV while still maintaining the underlying comb structure .As part of this work, a series of numerical simulations was performed to investigate the plasma that is formed in the IHHG process and its implications for the resulting VUV comb. It was demonstrated that a fundamental limitation to the performance of IHHG experiments is due to the single-pass ionization phase shift acquired by the pulse circulating in the enhancement cavity. Furthermore, we showed that a static background plasma accumulates between pulses and complicates cavity stabilization. Insights gained from the simulations led to the development of a novel pump-probe technique using the enhancement cavity that allowed a direct measurement of the intracavity plasma and its decay dynamics in real-time. Because the plasma lifetime plays such a crucial role in the operation of these cavities, it was important to have a method to test ways of reducing it. To build on our initial IHHG results showing record-level powers in the XUV, we implemented a fully phase-coherent dual comb spectrometer consisting of two identical IHHG systems operating in parallel. The system is designed for precision spectroscopy in the VUV and is based on a pair of homemade ytterbium fiber lasers that use a parabolic amplification scheme to achieve 80 fs pulses after amplification to 50 W of average power. Initial dual comb data showing system performance at the fundamental frequency and third harmonic are presented.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/612874 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Carlson, David R. |
| Contributors | Jones, Ronald Jason, Anderson, Brian P., Wright, Ewan M., Jones, Ronald Jason |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Electronic Dissertation |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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