Design of an optically-locked interferometer for attosecond pump-probe setups

Abstract

We present the design and performance of an active stabilization system for attosecond pump-probe setups based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration. The system employs a CW laser propagating coaxially with the pump and probe beams in the interferometer. The stabilization is achieved with a standalone feedback controller that adjusts the length of one of its arms to maintain a constant relative phase between the CW beams. With this system, the time delay between the pump and probe beams is stabilized within 10 as rms over several hours. The system is easy to operate and only requires a few minutes to set up before any pump/probe measurements.