High order harmonic generation-based attosecond light sources and applications to quantum phenomena

Attosecond science and technology have emerged as a promising path for improving our understanding of light–matter interaction. High harmonic generation based light sources combine high photon energy, broad spectrum, and short duration with a relatively compact implementation, which makes them flexible tools to study and modify physical and chemical properties of matter by acting directly on electronic degrees of freedom. Because extreme ultraviolet radiation interacts primarily with outer and inner valence electrons, it finds likely applications in atomic, molecular, and material science. Despite their spectacular successes, the development of these sources is still a subject of intense investigations, searching for extreme performances in terms of specifications and reliability. In this perspective article, we present some of the current developments in high harmonic generation sources, as well as related applications in quantum and attosecond dynamics in atoms and molecules.