Attonsecond Streaking Phase Retrieval Via Deep Learning Methods

Attosecond streaking phase retrieval is essential for resolving electron dynamics on sub-femtosecond time scales yet traditional algorithms rely on iterative minimization and central momentum approximations that degrade accuracy for broadband pulses. In this work phase retrieval is reformulated as a supervised computer-vision problem and four neural architectures are systematically compared. A convolutional network demonstrates strong sensitivity to local streak edges but lacks global context; a vision transformer captures long-range delay-energy correlations at the expense of local inductive bias; a hybrid CNN-ViT model unites local feature extraction and full-graph attention; and a capsule network further enforces spatial pose agreement through dynamic routing. A theoretical analysis introduces local, global and positional sensitivity measures and derives surrogate error bounds that predict the strict ordering $CNN<ViT<Hybrid<Capsule$. Controlled experiments on synthetic streaking spectrograms confirm this hierarchy, with the capsule network achieving the highest retrieval fidelity. Looking forward, embedding the strong-field integral into physics-informed neural networks and exploring photonic hardware implementations promise pathways toward real-time attosecond pulse characterization under demanding experimental conditions.