The Development of a Novel Femtosecond Xuv Light Source to Do Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules.

Technological advances in ultrafast lasers has allowed light with pulsewidths less than 100 femtoseconds and an incredible high intensity ( I >1017 watts/cm2) to be obtained. When an atomic or molecular medium is exposed to such an intense field, the interaction between the medium and the field is unique. The field will ionize and/or dissociate a molecular medium. The static index of refraction of the medium, which represents the medium response to a weak field, is no longer valid for describing the response to a strong field. The dynamic nonlinear index of refraction depends very strongly on the intensity of the applied field. The intense field in this sense changes the medium behavior. By contrast, since the index of refraction of the medium changes with the applied field intensity, the medium in turn changes the way in which the applied field propagates. This interaction constitutes the uniqueness of the intense light-matter interaction. As a consequence, Multiphoton Ionization (MPI), Above Threshold Ionization, and High Order Harmonic Generation (HOHG) are the primary phenomena associated with this special interaction. High order harmonic generation (HOHG) is a promising way to generate usable short pulse VUV light. The purpose of this thesis work is to develop a tabletop, bright, coherent, short pulsewidth VUV light source for studying the spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. This pioneering work has a number of potential applications such as probing ultra-fast transient dynamics in atomic, molecular, solid-state, and biologicalsystems.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

1997

Author dc:creator

• Evans, Son Hoang Vo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Delucia, Frank

• Physics

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1363687424

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1363687424