GENERATION OF A SINGLE ATTOSECOND X-RAY PULSE

The feasibility of generating a single attosecond x-ray pulse is demon strated. This can be achieved by generating high-order harmonics of a light pulse with a variable ellipticity and a relative spectral width Delta omega/omega approximate to 0.04, A way is proposed for generatin g such a pulse by linear optical methods from a linearly polarised ban dwidth-limited laser pulse. An attosecond x-ray pulse generated from s uch a laser pulse may then be separated in the far-field diffraction z one from the overall field by a system of apertures.