Ultrafast lasers: From femtoseconds to attoseconds

Abstract

We review the capability of lasers to generate light pulses of incredibly short duration, from a few femtoseconds (1 fs = 10 -15 s) in the visible down to a few tens of attoseconds (1 as = 10 -18 s) in the extreme-ultraviolet, reaching peak powers up to several petawatts (1 PW = 10 15 W).