Research

Ultrafast quantum physics and photonics

Our scientific focus is set on ultrafast phenomena dominating the physics of solids, molecules and custom tailored nanostructures. We aim to understand and control the microscopic interplay between elementary degrees of freedom and exploit this knowledge to design quantum systems with novel functionalities. As the essential tool box, we conceive highly intense sources of ultrashort phase-locked laser pulses as well as field-sensitive detectors for the entire infrared and terahertz window of the electromagnetic spectrum. Similarly to an extreme slow motion camera, this technology allows us to capture and control elementary quantum dynamics on the femtosecond scale (1 fs = 10^-15 s). In particular, the availability of record-intense and ultrashort electric and magnetic field transients allows us to study matter under unprecedented high-field conditions and reach an extremely non-adiabatic limit of light-matter interaction. Exciting new pathways to quantum electronics, quantum optics and quantum electrodynamics have been opened.

Overall our work can be divided into four large groups of projects.

Subcycle dynamics in quantum materials

Where we investigate charge carriers and their correlation in the most recent material systems, e.g. two-dimensional materials.

Lightwave electronics

Pushing the limits of current speed in electronics to the clockrates of light, reaching in the terahertz regime.

Ultrafast nanoscopy

Tracing the ultrafast dynamics of elementary particles and their interaction at their intrinsic nanometer length scales.

Non-adiabatic quantum electrodynamics

Tailoring the quantum vacuum to push deep-strong light-matter coupling further exploring ultrafast and nonlinear dynamics.

Please, take a look at our publications for a comprehensive overview of our latest results.