We demonstrate a deep-learning neural network (DNN) method for the measurement of molecular alignment by using the molecular-alignment-based cross-correlation polarization-gating frequency resolved optical gating (M-XFROG) technique. Our network has the capacity for direct measurement of molecular alignment from the FROG traces. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we have demonstrated our method in O2 molecules. With our method, the molecular alignment factor ⟨cos2θ⟩(t) of O2, impulsively excited by a pump pulse, was directly reconstructed. The accuracy and validity of the reconstruction have been verified by comparison with the simulations based on experimental parameters.

We propose and numerically demonstrate a simple and background-free all-optical chiral spectroscopy technique for gas molecules. Our approach is based on high harmonic generation driven by a new type of laser beam that is produced by one linearly polarized single-color beam passing through a lens and a prism. It is shown that chiral and achiral signals are completely separated in frequency, indicating strong background-free and highly sensitive chirality detection. We believe this all-optical method can open new opportunities for ultrafast detection for chiral dynamics in the femtoseond to attosecond time scale.

台式阿秒相干光源在过去20多年取得了飞速的发展，其研究重心已经从早期的产生与测量机理的探索逐渐过渡到了极端时间尺度超快过程的追踪及操控上。目前阿秒时间分辨的谱学技术不仅能实现简单的原子分子体系瞬态过程的直接追踪，还被逐步应用到化学分子、生物分子、固体材料等复杂体系的测量中。本文回顾了基于阿秒光源的超快测量技术的发展，介绍了相关技术的原理及其在物理、化学、信息科学领域的应用研究。

The nonlinear Talbot effect is a near-field nonlinear diffraction phenomenon in which the self-imaging of periodic objects is formed by the second harmonics of the incident laser beam. We demonstrate the first, to the best of our knowledge, example of nonlinear Talbot self-healing, i.e., the capability of creating defect-free images from faulty nonlinear optical structures. In particular, we employ the tightly focused femtosecond infrared optical pulses to fabricate LiNbO3 nonlinear photonic crystals and show that the defects in the form of the missing points of two-dimensional square and hexagonal periodic structures are restored in the second harmonic images at the first nonlinear Talbot plane. The observed nonlinear Talbot self-healing opens up new possibilities for defect-tolerant optical lithography and printing.

We investigate the Airy–Talbot effect of an Airy pulse train in time-dependent linear potentials. The parabolic trajectory of self-imaging depends on both the dispersion sign and the linear potential gradient. By imposing linear phase modulations on the pulse train, the Airy–Talbot effects accompanied with positive and negative refractions are realized. For an input composed of stationary Airy pulses, the self-imaging follows straight lines, and the Airy–Talbot distance can be engineered by varying the linear potential gradient. The effect is also achieved in symmetric linear potentials. The study provides opportunities to control the self-imaging of aperiodic optical fields in time dimension.

Using the classical-trajectory Monte Carlo model, we have theoretically studied the angular momentum distribution of frustrated tunneling ionization (FTI) of atoms in strong laser fields. Our results show that the angular momentum distribution of the FTI events exhibits a double-hump structure. With this classical model, we back traced the tunneling coordinates, i.e., the tunneling time and initial transverse momentum at tunneling ionization. It is shown that for the events tunneling ionized at the rising edge of the electric field, the final angular momentum exhibits a strong dependence on the initial transverse momentum at tunneling. While for the events ionized at the falling edge, there is a relatively harder recollision between the returning electron and the parent ion, leading to the angular momentum losing the correlation with the initial transverse momentum. Our study suggests that the angular momentum of the FTI events could be manipulated by controlling the initial coordinates of the tunneling ionization.

The temporal evolution of Nd:YAG laser-produced Sn plasma in atmospheric pressures from 5 to 104 Pa is investigated. The results show that the extreme ultraviolet radiation exists only at the beginning of the expansion process for 20 ns. The maximum temperature of 18.7 eV and density of 9.6×1017 cm 3 are measured at 73 ns. The effects of air pressure and laser energy on the process of plasma expansion are investigated. The results indicate that the air pressure has an inhibitory effect on kinetic energy, while the electron density and temperature increase with air pressure.