Attoscience and Ultrafast Optics

Prof. Dr. Jens Biegert

Activities:

Have you ever wondered what is behind a chemical reaction, how a phase transition occurs, or how the electrons, spins and nuclei interact in a solid which turns superconductive? All of these seemingly disparate areas of research are united by the fact that the dynamic interplay between their building blocks, i.e. electrons, spins and nuclei, determines their function. Our research aims at addressing this challenge through the investigation of multi-body dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids on its native attosecond time scale. To establish the technologies and methods, our activities range from ultrafast laser physics and extreme nonlinear optics to the investigation and control of electron and nuclear wave-packet dynamics. Combining coherent control, attosecond soft-X-ray (SXR) pulses, and powerful coincidence imaging techniques allows us to unravel those mysteries. It permits us to probe our most profound physics theories, provides a systematic approach to understand and control chemical reaction pathways, and could ultimately advance biological dynamic imaging.

The group works in a highly interdisciplinary field which fuses ultrafast laser physics, extreme nonlinear optics, atomic and molecular physics, XUV synchrotron optics, UHV technology, and electron-ion coincidence imaging techniques.

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