Ultrafast laser driven radiation sources: attosecond control and applications in nanodosimetry

The ability to generate ultrashort, coherent attosecond pulse trains through high-harmonic generation as well as the generation of laser-driven ion beams offer an invaluable insight into attosecond dynamics in atoms and molecules as well as potential applications in cancer radiation therapy, such as FLASH radiotherapy. However, for any practical purposes, it is necessary to have a single isolated attosecond pulse to reveal the attosecond dynamics and understanding the role of near-monoenergetic proton stopping in matter is an important area of concern.

This thesis demonstrates a novel technique for isolating a ultrabright, single attosecond pulse using off-harmonic, two colour driving fields. Additionally, experimental studies on quasi-monoenergetic proton bunches stopping in both glass and water show a discrepency with the response of the material to the interaction with what is expected based on modelling. Future efforts would involve using an attosecond probe to study the ultrafast response of monoenergetic protons stopping in matter.