Related papers: Ultrafast photomechanical transduction through the…
We exploit the effect of light-induced atomic desorption to produce high atomic densities ($n\gg k^3$) in a rubidium vapor cell. An intense off-resonant laser is pulsed for roughly one nanosecond on a micrometer-sized sapphire-coated cell,…
Understanding the interaction of kilojoule, picosecond laser pulse with long-scale length preplasma or homogeneous near critical density (NCD) plasma is crucial for guiding experiments at national short-pulse laser facilities. Using full…
While conventional optical trapping techniques can trap objects with submicron dimensions, the underlying limits imposed by the diffraction of light generally restrict their use to larger or higher refractive index particles. As the index…
We introduce a method for analyzing the physical properties of nanoparticles in fluids via the competition between viscous drag and optical forces. By flowing particles through a microfluidic device containing an optical microcavity which…
We report an experimental observation of a record-breaking ultra-high rotation frequency about 6 GHz in an optically levitated nanoparticle system. We optically trap a nanoparticle in the gravity direction with a high numerical aperture…
A scheme for fast, compact, and controllable acceleration of heavy particles in vacuum is proposed, in which two counterpropagating lasers with variable frequencies drive a beat-wave structure with variable phase velocity, thus allowing for…
The small mass and high coherence of nanomechanical resonators render them the ultimate force probe, with applications ranging from biosensing and magnetic resonance force microscopy, to quantum optomechanics. A notorious challenge in these…
Directed high-speed motion of nanoscale objects in fluids (nano swimmers) can have a wide range of applications like molecular machinery, nano robotics, drug delivery, and material assembly. Here, we report ballistic plasmonic Au…
Ultrafast photoexcitation is an emerging route to selective control of phase transitions. However, it is difficult to determine which modes govern the transformation and how effectively they are targeted by photoexcitation. This is…
We report on time-resolved coherent diffraction imaging of gas-phase silver nanoparticles, strongly heated via their plasmon resonance. The x-ray diffraction images reveal a broad range of phenomena for different excitation strengths, from…
Interactions between proteins and their solvent environment can be studied in a bottom-up approach using hydrogen-bonded chromophore-solvent clusters. The ultrafast dynamics following UV-light-induced electronic excitation of the…
Utilizing ultrafast light-matter interaction to manipulate electronic states of quantum materials is an emerging area of research in condensed matter physics. It has significant implications for the development of future ultrafast…
In the past twenty years, we have reached a broad understanding of many light-driven phenomena in nanoscale systems. The temporal dynamics of the excited states are instead quite challenging to explore, and, at the same time, crucial to…
Ultrafast electron pulses, combined with laser-pump and electron-probe technologies, allow for various forms of ultrafast microscopy and spectroscopy to elucidate otherwise challenging to observe physical and chemical transitions. However,…
Highly nonlinear optical processes, such as multiphoton photoemission, require high intensities, typically achieved with ultrashort laser pulses and, hence, were first observed with the advent of picosecond laser technology. An alternative…
We present an in-depth analysis of the energy dependence of optical breakdown in water by tightly focused laser pulses, from plasma formation to shock waves and cavitation. Laser pulses of fs to ns durations and UV to IR wavelengths are…
Since the advent of atom laser-cooling, trapping or cooling natural molecules has been a long standing and challenging goal. Here, we demonstrate a method for laser-trapping molecules that is radically novel in its configuration, in its…
Super-resolution imaging using sub-diffraction field localization by micron sized transparent beads (microspheres) was recently demonstrated [1]. Practical applications in microscopy require control over the positioning of the microspheres.…
Promising applications in photonics are driven by the ability to fabricate crystal-quality metal thin films of controlled thickness down to a few nanometers. In particular, these materials exhibit a highly nonlinear response to optical…
Recent microfluidic experiments have explored the precise positioning of micron-sized particles in liquid environments via laser-induced thermoviscous flow. From micro-robotics to biology at the subcellular scale, this versatile technique…