Engineering strong-field phenomena : from attosecond pulse characterization to nanostructured electron emitters

Abstract

Strong-field phenomena are a driving force behind the latest innovations in ultrafast science. As ultrafast laser sources improve in terms of peak pulse energy and wavelength tunability, applications that utilize high peak electromagnetic field strengths to generate attosecond pulses of both photons and electrons are becoming readily available. Furthermore, through the coupling of these optical fields to nanostructures that further enhance peak field strengths, a new generation of electron emitters and "light-speed" electronics are now emerging. This thesis explores two such areas in detail: the generation and characterization of attosecond pulses of light, and strong-field photoemission from nanostructures.