After successful completion of the course, students are able to explain linear and non-linear light-matter interactions for IR and XUV radiation and their applications in laser spectroscopy and metrology, with a focus of petehertz samplling of optical signals in gases and in solids. 

Laser pulse properties:

• FT: spectral bandwidth and pulse duration
• FT: single pulses and pulse trains
• FT: spectral phase and pulse compression
• Carrier envelope phase
• Time-dependent polarization

High harmonic generation:

• Quantum levels in atomic gases
• Atomic response: 3-step model (Corkum and Kulander)
• Classic vs quantum trajectory (Lewenstein)
• Attosecond chirp
• Macroscopic response: phase matching
• Spectral and spatial filtering
• Control of recombining trajectories
• Quasi-phase matching schemes

Attosecond pulse trains and attosecond pulses:

• Generation
• Characterization via XUV non-linear ionization
• Characterization via XUV-IR: rabitt and streaking
• IR field measurement via optical sampling

Spectroscopic applications:

• Spectroscopy with rabbitt
• Spectroscopy with streaking
• Pump-probe experiments

Petehertz sampling:

• photoelectron sampling (streaking)
• optical sampling in gases
• electronic sampling in solids

Presentation by lecturer
Home exercises on simulations

oral exam