The scientific focus of the Ultrafast quantum dynamics and photonics Group at the University of Regensburg (Prof. Dr. R. Huber, Dr. C. Lange) 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, field-sensitive detectors for the entire infrared and terahertz window of the electromagnetic spectrum, and atomic force and scanneling tunneling near-field microscopy accessing extremely sub-wavelength scales. Similarly to a microscope with an extreme slow motion camera, this technology allows us to capture and control elementary quantum dynamics on the femtosecond temporal (1 fs = 10-15 s) and atomic spatial scale. 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.

Ongoing experiments investigate the dynamics of high-harmonic generation by all-coherent dynamical Bloch oscillations in novel materials, femtosecond-precise tunneling of single electrons into select orbitals of single molecules, sub-wavelength control and detection of plasmonic resonances, and coherent high-field terahertz dynamics of elementary excitations using two-dimensional phase and amplitude-resolved spectroscopy.

Main contact: Prof. Dr. Rupert Huber – Email: rupert.huber(at)physik.uni-regensburg.de

Department of Physics
Universitatsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg – Germany
Website: www.physik.uni-regensburg.de