Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications

When an intense laser pulse strikes an atom or molecule, the interaction unfolds on timescales so short — femtoseconds (millionths of a billionth of a second) or even attoseconds (a thousand times shorter still) — that researchers can effectively freeze and film the motion of electrons as they rearrange during chemical reactions and physical transitions. Central to this work is high-harmonic generation, a nonlinear process in which the laser drives electrons to emit bursts of extreme ultraviolet or X-ray light, providing both a diagnostic tool and a source of ultrashort pulses for probing matter with unprecedented time resolution. A major thrust of current research is using these tools to observe and ultimately control electron dynamics in real time — watching how charge redistributes in a molecule the instant a bond begins to break, or steering a quantum system toward a desired outcome. Open questions include how to extend attosecond techniques to complex molecules and condensed-matter systems, and how to push pulse energies and photon energies high enough to image structural and electronic changes simultaneously.

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Keywords

Attosecond PhysicsHigh-Harmonic GenerationUltrafast Laser PulsesNonlinear OpticsMolecular DynamicsQuantum Control