Other the 36 months schedule of this project, only 17 were finally done because I have found a permanent research position.
--- Summary of the context and objectives :
The MIRed Streak project aims at developing a laser source of femtosecond pulses in the middle infrared (MIR) with intensity of a few-10microjoules in order to observe light-electron couplings during a molecular dissociation. This would also be useful in the future for quantum control of matter with light, and have potential applications for the creation of quantum computers. Such MIR source is though very challenging to create as it needs to be identical for each laser shot (i.e. Carrier-to-Envelop phase (CEP) stabilized) together with high energy.
The two main objectives of the project are (1) to build such a source and (2) to use it to observe a molecular dissociation.
As only 17 were done out of the 36 scheduled, only the first objective was fulfilled.
--- Summary of the work performed and main results:
The combination of three previous technologies was performed to build the laser source :
(i) a hollowcore fiber to generate broadband pulses and obtain ultrashort pulse duration,
(ii) a frequency-domain pulse shaping to generate in the MIR spectral region,
(iii) frequency-domain optical parametric amplification (OPA) to obtain high energy.
This unique combination was called FOPA MIR. Few-cycle pulse, stabilized in CEP, centered at 10 micrometers in wavelength, and with an energy a few tens of microjoules were obtained. This source architecture was published.
In addition, the characterization of such pulses is very challenging as the technique available in the visible and infrared domain are not scalable to the MIR. Two diagnostics were developed. They were not expected in the initial project, but were compulsory for its success:
(i) The FROSt (frequency resolved optical switching) technique aims at measuring the amplitude and phase temporal profiles of MIR pulses by using ultrafast absorption in solids. This technique was published.
(ii) A technique to measure the CEP fluctuations of the MIR pulses based on high harmonic generation in solids. This technique was published.
--- Progress beyond the state-of-the-art
In conclusion, this work provided to the light-matter interaction community (1) a novel architecture of laser pulses in MIR region that is scalable to high energy and high repetition rate infrastructures, (2) together with two novel tools for their characterizations in temporal profile and in CEP stability.
Previous state-of-the-art : Previous available sources are not scalable to high rep-rates whereas it is the clear objective of the community. No tool were available to characterize these aspects of such pulses.
http://www.emt.inrs.ca/emt/recherche/infrastructures-equipements/laboratoire-sources-femtosecondes(opens in new window)--- What is the problem/issue being addressed?
The ultrashort long wavelength CEP stable laser sources are almost not available to date, however, it opens a path to many new studies to better understand matter (solid or gas state), and many research teams in the world have been investing many efforts in developping such sources.
--- Why is it important for society?
Such laser sources will unable very specific quantum control of matter that are compulsory for the creating of quantum computers for instance.
--- More information :
The following of this work was supposed to consist in using the MIR source in a VMI spectrometer. Unfortunately, the characterization of the source was not doable with available measurement tools that had to be created, so it took extra-time (and non announced publications) so it has not been started.
For the training and dessimination, the fellow attended a IP training as announced, and gave a talk to a conference. In addition, the fellow supervized two research interships.
