The ability to generate and control light at extreme timescales opens a unique window into the fastest processes in nature, from electron dynamics in atoms and molecules to energy transfer in materials. We develop theoretical models and numerical tools to describe and optimise these phenomena, working in close collaboration with leading experimental laboratories worldwide.
Femtosecond Pulse Propagation and High-Harmonic Generation
We model the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses through gaseous and guided media, accounting for the complex nonlinear effects that shape the pulse as it travels — including ionization, self-phase modulation, and plasma formation. A central focus is high-harmonic generation (HHG), the process by which a driving laser pulse interacts with a gas medium to produce coherent radiation at much shorter wavelengths, extending into the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray spectral regions. Our simulations capture both the single-atom response and the macroscopic phase-matching conditions that determine the efficiency and spectral content of the harmonic output.
Attosecond Pulse Generation in Gas Media and Waveguides
Building on HHG, we study the conditions under which the harmonic emission can be confined to isolated attosecond pulses — bursts of light lasting just tens to hundreds of attoseconds (10⁻¹⁸ s). We investigate pulse generation both in free-propagating gas jets and cells, and in waveguide geometries that offer enhanced control over phase matching and intensity. Our theoretical work guides the design of experimental configurations aimed at producing intense, well-characterized attosecond pulses for applications in time-resolved spectroscopy and the study of ultrafast electron dynamics.
Collaboration:
“Federico II” University, Naples, Italy; ELI-ALPS Research Institute, Szeged, Hungary; Max Born Institut, Berlin, Germany; GIST, Gwangju, Korea