High-Harmonic Generation in Liquids: From Attosecond Electron Dynamics to Tunable EUV Sources
Dr. Angana Mondal
Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography
Ultrafast electron motion lies at the heart of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission in strong-field light–matter interactions. High-harmonic generation (HHG) in gases and solids is well established both as a source of coherent EUV radiation and as a probe of electronic dynamics. In contrast, the mechanisms governing HHG in liquids remain far less explored. Liquids occupy a unique intermediate regime between dilute gases and ordered solids, where strong scattering, structural disorder, and local interactions fundamentally modify electron recollision dynamics.
In this talk, I will show that HHG itself can serve as a self-referenced probe of electron dynamics in bulk liquids. The emitted EUV radiation encodes the full history of recolliding electrons, including their propagation, scattering, and recombination pathways, through measurable changes in harmonic phase, yield, and spectral structure. These observations provide direct insight into how electron motion evolves in strongly interacting condensed environments.
Beyond revealing the fundamental dynamics of HHG in liquids, these results point toward a materialsdriven strategy for designing tunable EUV sources in condensed and disordered media. By engineering solvation structure, chemical composition, or confinement, liquid systems provide a promising platform for controlling recollision pathways and shaping EUV emission, opening new opportunities for compact and controllable attosecond light sources
Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography
Ultrafast electron motion lies at the heart of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission in strong-field light–matter interactions. High-harmonic generation (HHG) in gases and solids is well established both as a source of coherent EUV radiation and as a probe of electronic dynamics. In contrast, the mechanisms governing HHG in liquids remain far less explored. Liquids occupy a unique intermediate regime between dilute gases and ordered solids, where strong scattering, structural disorder, and local interactions fundamentally modify electron recollision dynamics.
In this talk, I will show that HHG itself can serve as a self-referenced probe of electron dynamics in bulk liquids. The emitted EUV radiation encodes the full history of recolliding electrons, including their propagation, scattering, and recombination pathways, through measurable changes in harmonic phase, yield, and spectral structure. These observations provide direct insight into how electron motion evolves in strongly interacting condensed environments.
Beyond revealing the fundamental dynamics of HHG in liquids, these results point toward a materialsdriven strategy for designing tunable EUV sources in condensed and disordered media. By engineering solvation structure, chemical composition, or confinement, liquid systems provide a promising platform for controlling recollision pathways and shaping EUV emission, opening new opportunities for compact and controllable attosecond light sources
