Hollow Fiber Compression Technique: A Historical Perspective

This review analyzes the evolution, applications, and future prospects of the hollow fiber compression technique, a pivotal advancement in ultrafast laser technology. Over the past three decades, this technique has emerged as a cornerstone, proving instrumental in the generation of few-cycle pulses characterized by millijoule-level energy, spanning a wide spectral range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths. Its versatility and efficiency have found applications in diverse scientific disciplines, ranging from attosecond science to extreme nonlinear optics. The review delves into the historical development of the hollow fiber compression technique, highlighting key milestones and technological breakthroughs that have contributed to its current status. The widespread adoption of this technique in laboratories on a global scale is investigated, and an exploration is conducted into the continuously reported innovative experimental implementations. The impact of this technique on attosecond science is scrutinized, emphasizing its role in the generation and application of isolated attosecond pulses.