Ultrafast Strong-Field Physics

Introduction Message

Welcome to this Advanced Seminar (MVSem) on “Ultrafast strong-field physics”. The seminar is held every Tuesday, 14:15 – 16:00 at SR 2.404 (INF227). In this seminar we will discuss various active research topics in AMO high-field science, using intense ultrashort laser pulses to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of light-matter interaction. The routine availability of such laser pulses in modern labs is also rooted on the development of chirped pulse amplification. This seminal achievement in ultrafast laser science has been recognized with the Nobel prize in Physics, awarded to Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou in 2018. We will offer both introductory-style topics on the origins of this research field, as well as modern day applications for the exploration of new physics at the femtosecond to attosecond timescale.

The course (code MVSem) is worth 6 credit points. These will be given for the preparation and presentation of a research seminar, as well as the active participation and discussion during the whole seminar. There are no prerequisites for the seminar, just a keen interest in the ultrafast world.

The first coordination meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 18^th, 14:15h in SR 2.404 (INF227). We will discuss the schedule of the seminar in this meeting.

Available topics of the seminar series:

1. Generation of ultrashort laser pulses and high-power lasers
2. Nonlinear optics and characterization of ultrashort laser pulses
3. Multiphoton physics and above threshold ionization
4. High-order harmonic generation and the production of attosecond pulses
5. Experimental characterization of attosecond pulses (Photoelectron streaking and RABBITT)
6. Photoemission delays in atoms (with streaking and RABBITT)
7. Photoemission delays in small molecules (with streaking and RABBITT)
8. Let’s look at bigger molecules: Ultrafast Vibrational Relaxation Dynamics in XUV-Excited Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules
9. Extracting time information from phases, an algorithm history…
10. Attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy for strong-field ionization of atoms
11. Control of XUV absorption spectra with ultrashort laser pulses (from Fano to Lorentzian spectral line shapes)
12. Time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy of molecules with core-level spectroscopy
13. Attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in materials, including bandgap dynamics and the PHz response of charge carriers
14. High-order harmonic spectroscopy for attosecond snapshots across different phases of matter: ...in molecular gas
15. ... in liquids
16. ... in solids
17. High-order harmonic spectroscopy for time-resolved tomography of molecular orbitals
18. Laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) of molecular orbitals
19. ...

We look forward to an exciting seminar series on ultrafast strong-field physics in SS2023.

Cheers,

Laura & Christian