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Enhancing narrowband high order harmonic generation by Fano resonances

Resonances in the photo-absorption spectrum of the generating medium can modify the spectrum of high order harmonics. In particular, window-type Fano resonances can reduce photo-absorption within a narrow spectral region and, consequently, lead to an enhanced emission of high-order harmonics in absorption-limited generation conditions. For high harmonic generation in argon it is shown that the 3s3p6 np 1P1 window resonances (n=4,5,6) give rise to enhanced photon yield. In particular, the 3s3p6 4p 1P1 resonance at 26.6 eV allows a relative enhancement up to a factor of 30 compared to the characteristic photon emission of the neighboring harmonic order. This enhanced, spectrally isolated and coherent photon emission line has a relative energy bandwidth of only ΔE/E=3*10-3. Therefore, it might be directly applied for precision spectroscopy or coherent diffractive imaging without the need of additional spectral filtering. The presented mechanism can be employed for tailoring and controlling the high harmonic emission of manifold target materials.