Generation of sub-45 fs vacuum UV (VUV) pulses tunable across the spectral range of 146–151 nm at 1 kHz repetition rate is reported. The pulses are produced using noncollinear difference-frequency four-wave mixing between the third-harmonic of an amplified Ti:sapphire laser and the signal wavelength of an infrared optical parametric amplifier (ωVUV=2ωTH−ωIR) in krypton and argon. The generated VUV pulses have energies as high as 90 nJ. Pulse duration measurements are realized by cross correlation between the VUV pulses and the laser fundamental wavelength using pump-probe ionization in xenon.
