Continuous spectra in high-harmonic generation driven by multicycle laser pulses

Abstract

We present observations of the emission of XUV continua in the 20–37-eV region by high-harmonic generation with 4–7-fs pulses focused onto a Kr gas jet. The underlying mechanism relies on coherent control of the relative delays and phases between individually generated attosecond pulses, achievable by adjusting the chirp of the driving pulses and the interaction geometry. Under adequate negative chirp and phase-matching conditions, the resulting interpulse interference yields a continuum XUV spectrum, which is due to both microscopic and macroscopic (propagation) contributions. This technique opens the route for modifying the phase of individual attosecond pulses and for the coherent synthesis of XUV continua from multicycle driving laser pulses without the need of an isolated attosecond burst.