Subfemtosecond-pulse generation by rotational molecular modulation and pulse-spacing increase

A technique is proposed to increase multiplicatively the pulse spacing of a periodic subfemtosecond-pulse train based on molecular modulation, with more pairs of driving lasers to control the higher-order stimulated Raman scattering. We demonstrate that the pulse spacing can be readily doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled by using pairs of off-resonant two-photon Raman transitions driven by laser beams of sufficient intensities and relatively shifted carrier frequencies. A periodic subfemtosecond-pulse train with a pulse width down to 0.53 fs and pulse spacing up to 376 fs can be generated with appropriate molecular coherence control of the fundamental rotational transition in molecular hydrogen.