Abstract
In this work, we study the limitations for overcoming the longitudinal piston error in a femtosecond tiled-grating compressor using nonlinear measurements like second harmonic generation. In particular, we observe the influence of this error when developing high-power laser experiments such as high-order harmonic generation. The generation of nonlinear processes with femtosecond pulses compressed in tiled-grating systems is studied. Special attention is paid to the role of the longitudinal piston error which is the most difficult to overcome in the compressor alignment. A complex spatio-temporal structure is expected to appear due to that misalignment. Both second harmonic generation in nonlinear crystals and high-order harmonic generation in gases are studied and a strong dependence with piston error is found, thus leading to a sub-micron modulation in the generated signal. In particular, the high sensitivity of the high-order harmonics to the longitudinal position allows one to use this processes for the accurate alignment of the compressor to few tens of nanometers.
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge support from Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad through the Consolider Program SAUUL (CSD2007-00013) and Research project FIS2009-09522, from Junta de Castilla y León through the Program for Groups of Excellence (GR27) and Consejería de Educación y Fondo Social Europeo, and from the EC’s Seventh Framework Programme (LASERLAB-EUROPE, grant agreement 228334). Partial support from Centro de Láseres Pulsados, CLPU, is also acknowledged.
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Hernández-García, C., Méndez, C., Arias, I. et al. Role of the longitudinal piston error in a tiled-grating compressor in second and high-order harmonic generation. Appl. Phys. B 108, 773–777 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-012-5137-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-012-5137-z