Efficient XUV-light out-coupling of intra-cavity high harmonics by a coated grazing-incidence plate

We experimentally demonstrate an efficient and broadband extreme-ultraviolet light (XUV) out-coupling mechanism of intra-cavity generated high harmonics. The mechanism is based on a coated grazing-incidence plate (GIP), which utilizes the enhanced reflectivity of s-polarized light in comparison to p-polarized light for large angles of incidence (AoI). We design and produce a 60 degrees-AoI coated GIP, tailored specifically for the high demands inside a sub-50-fs Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YAG thin-disk laser oscillator in which high harmonic generation (HHG) is driven at similar to 450 MW peak power and 17 MHz repetition rate. The coated GIP features an XUV out-coupling efficiency of >25% for photon energies ranging from 10 eV to 60 eV while being anti-reflective for the driving laser field. The XUV spectra reach up to 52 eV in argon and 30 eV in xenon. In a single harmonic, we out-couple 1.3 mu W of XUV average power at 37 eV in argon and 5.4 mu W at 25 eV in xenon. The combination of an improved HHG driving laser performance and the out-coupling via the coated GIP enabled us to increase the out-coupled XUV average power in a single harmonic by a factor of 20 compared to previous HHG inside ultrafast laser oscillators. Our source approaches the state-of-the-art out-coupled XUV power levels per harmonic of femtosecond enhancement cavities operating at comparable photon energies. (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement