Soft X-ray Generation Using Mid-Infrared Femtosecond Lasers at High kHz Repetition Rates

Abstract: High harmonic generation is a unique short wavelength light source with high spatial and temporal coherence, enabling ultrafast pump-probe studies of dynamics in chemical reactions, biological systems, and technologically relevant materials. For soft x-ray generation, this requires ultrafast lasers operating at high pulse energy and high repetition rate in the mid-infrared spectral region, which remain a challenging technology. In this thesis, I will present my efforts towards realizing applications-ready tabletop-scale soft x-ray sources. I will highlight recent results from our highly stable, 1 kHz, 3 µm optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system that has generated soft x-rays at the carbon K-edge.