Abstract

We propose and theoretically demonstrate a method to generate attosecond XUV pulses with tunable ellipticity from aligned molecules irradiated by a bichromatic counterrotating circularly polarized (BCCP) driving laser field. By rotating the BCCP field, the attoseond XUV pulse varies from being left elliptically polarized to right elliptically polarized. The rotation of the BCCP field can be easily achieved by adjusting the relative phases between the two circularly polarized components. This scheme will benefit a broad range of applications, including the exploration of chiral-sensitive properties of the light–matter interaction and time-resolved imaging of magnetic structures.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

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