(images taken from J. Phys. Photonics 4, 032001 (2022))

Dr. Federico Furch

Prof. Marc Vrakking

Max-Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)
Berlin, Germany
Max-Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)
Berlin, Germany

Novel investigations of ultrafast electronic and structural dynamics have become possible within the last two decades as a direct result of new experimental and theoretical tools and methodologies. The key technological advance enabling this revolution was the generation of coherent light pulses with attosecond duration, for which L’Huillier, Krausz, and Agostini were awarded the Physics Nobel Prize in 2023.

Within this one-week intensive course, an overview of these new tools and methodologies will be introduced and relevant research highlights will be discussed. The course will cover the following topics:

-       a general introduction to pump-probe spectroscopy

-       an overview of basic concepts of ultrafast optics and the generation of ultrashort and intense laser pulses, necessary to understand the technological developments enabling the generation of attosecond light pulses

-       an overview of the behavior of atoms and molecules under the influence of a strong laser field

-       high-order harmonic generation and attosecond pulses

-       examples of attosecond pump-probe spectroscopy

The course will be given in English and will take place between 18 and 22 of March, from 8am to 2pm. Grading will be based on a one-to-one discussion of a paper from the literature, previously assigned by the lecturers. The course is intended for undergraduate students in the last stage of their studies, graduate students, and researchers interested in the topic. It should be accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of optics and quantum mechanics.