Chair for Laser Physics
Welcome to the website of the Chair for Laser Physics!
At the moment we work in three main branches of research that combine the topics of laser physics, quantum, electron, and nano optics, strong-field and attosecond physics, plasmonics and solid state research. We investigate the wave and particle properties of electrons in ultrafast processes in and at nano objects; we develop new particle traps to create quantum optical systems in order to build a quantum electron microscope; we use laser pulses at photonic nanostructures to look into novel concepts for particle acceleration.
The main part of our laboratory is centered around light-matter interaction on fastest time scales, namely the femtosecond and attosecond time scale (1 fs = 1 millionth of a billionth of a second, 1 as = 1 billionth of a billionth of a second). This allows us, to put it a bit more abstractly, to work towards understanding und utilizing photon-electron coupling in various systems. A part of this is based on highly advanced methods to control electrons, often with light fields, which requires building new laser sources and amplifiers.
The ACHIP research program, generously supported by the Californian Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation with around 20 million euros, has come to an end. ACHIP stands for "Accelerator on a Chip International Program". It has funded research into this type of laser-based accelerator and allowed us to m...
Our Master's student Julian Freier has been awarded the contribution prize of the German Physical Society's Radiation and Medical Physics Association at this year's DPG Spring Meeting in Berlin. He received the award for his poster titled "Cell Irradiation Experiments and Film Dosimetry with Low Ene...
UCLA Professor Sergio Carbajo has won one of the highly competitive Humboldt Research Fellowships. This will allow him to visit us for up to a year to conduct research with us. Congratulations! We are looking forward to the visit!
What are the properties of electrons emitted by ultrashort laser pulses from a metal tip? We are intensively researching this question at the Chair for Laser Physics. The question becomes more complicated when not just one, but several electrons are emitted within the same pulse. Last year, an artic...
Almost two dissertations in one and both parts accompanied by great journal articles, plus an outstanding defense - the two letters in front of the name are more than deserved. Congratulations, Dr. Meier!
This year's Röntgen Prize of the University of Giessen went to our former postdoc and current professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Roy Shiloh. He received the 15,000 euro prize for his outstanding contributions to the realization of a photonic particle accelerator. As it was mentione...
This year we again retreated for two and a half days to be able to discuss our projects intensively on the basis of presentations - and to listen to four more excellent presentations by invited guests. This year's guests were Dr. Thilo Egenolf from Darmstadt, Prof. Christoph Lemell from Vienna, Prof...