Related papers: Unconventional light-induced states visualized by …
The ability to control the structure of a crystalline solid on ultrafast timescales bears enormous potential for information storage and manipulation or generating new functional states of matter [1]. In many materials where the ultrafast…
The interaction between free electrons and nanoscale optical fields has emerged as a unique platform to investigate ultrafast processes in matter and explore fundamental quantum phenomena. In particular, optically modulated electrons are…
We report the lattice dynamics of transition metal thin films by using the ultrafast electron diffraction. We observe a suppression of the diffraction intensity in a few picosecond after the photoexcitation, which is directly interpreted as…
The reflection of intense laser radiation from solids appears as a result of relativistic dynamics of the electrons driven by both incoming and self-generated electromagnetic fields at the periphery of the emerging dense plasma. In the case…
This fluid dynamics video showcases how optically induced electrokinetic forces can be used to drive three-dimensional micro-vortices. The strong microfluidic vortices are used constructively in conjunction with other electrokinetic forces…
Irradiation of solid surfaces with high intensity, ultrashort laser pulses triggers a variety of secondary processes that can lead to the formation of transient and permanent structures over large range of length scales from mm down to the…
A practical approach is proposed for efficiently generating ultrashort attosecond pulses (APs) from realistic solid-state materials, aiming to optimize pulse width effectively. By adjusting the photon energy while maintaining a constant…
Melting is an everyday phase transition that is determined by thermodynamic parameters like temperature and pressure. In contrast, ultrafast melting is governed by the microscopic response to a rapid energy input and, thus, can reveal the…
Recent experiments have revealed ultrastrong coupling between light and matter as a promising avenue for modifying material properties, such as electrical transport, chemical reaction rates, and even superconductivity. Here, we explore…
Dense micron-sized electron plasmas, such as those generated upon irradiation of nanostructured metallic surfaces by intense femtosecond laser pulses, constitute a rich playground to study light-matter interactions, many-body phenomena, and…
The ultrafast response of metals to light is governed by intriguing non-equilibrium dynamics involving the interplay of excited electrons and phonons. The coupling between them gives rise to nonlinear diffusion behavior on ultrashort…
The ultrafast dynamics of ions in solids following intense femtosecond laser excitation is governed by two fundamentally distinct yet interplaying effects. On one hand, the significant generation of hot electron-hole pairs by the light…
Materials of which the optical response is determined by their structure are of much interest both for their fundamental properties and applications. Examples range from simple gratings to photonic crystals. Obtaining control over the…
A fundamental issue that limits the efficiency of many photoelectrochemical systems is that the photon absorption length is typically much longer than the electron diffusion length. Various photon management schemes have been developed to…
The rapid interaction of highly energetic particle beams with matter induces dynamic responses in the impacted component. If the beam pulse is sufficiently intense, extreme conditions can be reached, such as very high pressures, changes of…
The modern means of controlled irradiation by femtosecond lasers or swift heavy ion beams can transiently produce such energy densities in samples that reach collective electronic excitation levels of the warm dense matter state where the…
In strongly correlated transition metal dichalcogenides, an intricate interplay of polaronic distortions, stacking arrangement, and electronic correlations determines the nature of the insulating state. Here, we study the response of the…
Theoretical and experimental evidence of light driven structuring of glasses is presented. We show that light overcomes Coulomb repulsion and effective electron-electron interaction in glasses under strong light pumping becomes attractive.…
Intense femtosecond laser pulses interacting with solids can drive electrons to relativistic energies, enabling miniaturized particle accelerators and bright extreme-ultraviolet light sources. In-situ space-time control of these electrons…
The tunability of materials properties by light promises a wealth of future applications in energy conversion and information technology. Strongly correlated materials such as transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) offer optical control…