VUV and X-ray coherent light with tunable polarization from single-pass free-electron lasers

Abstract

Tunable polarization over a wide spectral range is a required feature of light sources employed to investigate the properties of local symmetry in both condensed and low-density matter. Among new-generation sources, free-electron lasers possess a unique combination of very attractive features, as they allow to generate powerful and coherent ultra-short optical pulses in the VUV and X-ray spectral range. However, the question remains open about the possibility to freely vary the light polarization of a free-electron laser, when the latter is operated in the so-called nonlinear harmonic-generation regime. In such configuration, one collects the harmonics of the free-electron laser fundamental emission, gaining access to the shortest possible wavelengths the device can generate. In this letter we provide the first experimental characterization of the polarization of the harmonic light produced by a free-electron laser and we demonstrate a method to obtain tunable polarization in the VUV and X-ray spectral range. Experimental results are successfully compared to those obtained using a theoretical model based on the paraxial solution of Maxwell's equations. Our findings can be expected to have a deep impact on the design and realization of experiments requiring full control of light polarization to explore the symmetry properties of matter samples.

References in corpus (3)

• First Observation of Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission in a Free-Electron Laser at 109 nm Wavelength
• Theory of Nonlinear Harmonic Generation in Free-Electron Lasers with Helical Wigglers
• Experimental demonstration of frequency pulling in single-pass free-electron lasers

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Fast Polarization Switching Demonstration Using Crossed-Planar Undulator in a Seeded Free Electron Laser
• Relativistic polarization analysis of Rayleigh scattering by atomic hydrogen
• Perfect control of photoelectron anisotropy for randomly oriented ensembles of molecules by XUV REMPI and polarization shaping
• FEL Polarization Control Studies on Dalian Coherent Light Source
• Simulation studies on laser pulse stability for Dalian Coherent Light Source
• Spin effects probed by Rayleigh X-ray scattering off hydrogenic ions
• Polarization control of an X-ray free electron laser oscillator
• Single-shot measurement of free-electron laser polarization at SDUV-FEL
• Photoexcitation Circular Dichroism in Chiral Molecules