High-Order Harmonic Generation in Laser Plasma Plumes

This book represents the first comprehensive treatment of high-order harmonic generation in laser-produced plumes, covering the principles, past and present experimental status and important applications. It shows how this method of frequency conversion of laser radiation towards the extreme ultraviolet range matured over the course of multiple studies and demonstrated new approaches in the generation of strong coherent short-wavelength radiation for various applications. Significant discoveries and pioneering contributions of researchers in this field carried out in various laser scientific centers worldwide are included in this first attempt to describe the important findings in this area of nonlinear spectroscopy.

High-Order Harmonic Generation in Laser Plasma Plumes is a self-contained and unified review of the most recent achievements in the field, such as the application of clusters (fullerenes, nanoparticles, nanotubes) for efficient harmonic generation of ultrashort laser pulses in cluster-containing plumes and resonance-induced enhancement of harmonic yield. It can be used as an advanced monograph for researchers and graduate students working in the field of nonlinear spectroscopy. It is also suitable for researchers in laser physics and nonlinear optics who wish to have an overview of the advanced achievements in laser ablation-induced high-order harmonic generation spectroscopy. The carefully presented details of this book will be of value to research devoted to the understanding and control frequency conversion of laser pulses in plasma plumes.

The studies described in this book pave the way for the development of a new method of materials studies using the laser ablation-induced high-order harmonic generation spectroscopy, which can exploit the spectral and structural properties of various solid-state materials through their ablation and further propagation of short laser pulse through laser-produced plasma and generation of high-order harmonics.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Basic Principles of Harmonic Generation in Plasmas
• Resonance-Induced Enhancement of High-Order Harmonic Generation in Plasma
• Cluster-Containing Plasma Plumes: Attractive Media for High-Order Harmonic Generation of Laser Radiation
• Application of Fullerenes for Harmonic Generation
• Enhancement of Harmonic Yield from Ablation Plumes
• Recent Developments and Future Perspectives of Plasma HHG

Readership: Graduate students and researchers in the fields of nonlinear optics, laser physics and nonlinear spectroscopy.
Key Features:

• No other book giving a full picture of comprehensive studies of plasma harmonics at this level is available. It is the first monograph showing the developments of this new area of nonlinear spectroscopy
• The book shows all the aspects of this research carried out by many laboratories worldwide, including the most recent studies of laser ablation-induced harmonic generation in plasmas
• The author, Dr Rashid Ganeev is a leading authority in this field. He participated in most of the studies on plasma harmonics described in this monograph