Attosecond light sources and phase-controlled EUV optics

We have developed multilayer interference optics with high efficiency, good stability, customized bandwidth and phase control, to manipulate the ultra-short pulses generated by EUV/X-ray coherent sources, such as High Harmonic Generation or Free Electron Lasers. These sources and optics are also highly relevant in EUV metrology and photolithography. In this paper, we discuss examples of novel, tailored multilayer optics that we have been developing for the last 20 years for ultrafast sources. We show that phase-controlled multilayer reflective optics provide a powerful tool towards transporting or even compressing attosecond pulses. Finally, we discuss the possibility of using phase-controlled multilayer mirrors in the soft X-ray domain.