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Attosecond Physics in a Nutshell

Pushing the Frontier of Ultrafast Science and Technology

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Abstract

Since the invention of laser, a huge number of new technological advancements have happened, along with the generation of new basic science knowledge, which has paved the way to study and control matter on femtosecond and attosecond time scales. Since 2001, ultrafast science has ushered into the attosecond era, with the generation, characterization, and applications of coherent attosecond pulses of light. Experimental methods to generate attosecond pulses of light to study electron dynamics in matter have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2023. In this article, we provide a pedagogical overview of the physics and technology behind attosecond pulses and their applications in exploring the dynamics of matter on an ever-shorter time scale. We begin with milestones that led to the attosecond era and explain the basic mechanism behind the generation and characterization of attosecond pulses. We describe the experimental implementation of the attosecond setup and discuss some applications in resolving the attosecond phenomenon. Emerging directions in this new field are also mentioned.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge DST, Max-Planck Society, for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IISER Mohali, Mohali, India

    Akansha Tyagi & Kamal P. Singh

  2. Amity University, Noida, Punjab, India

    Ankur Mandal

Authors
  1. Akansha Tyagi
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  2. Ankur Mandal
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  3. Kamal P. Singh
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Akansha Tyagi, Ankur Mandal or Kamal P. Singh.

Additional information

Akansha Tyagi has completed her Ph.D. in physics from IISER Mohali. Her research interests include generation, characterization, and applications of attosecond pulses in probing electron dynamics in matter.

Ankur Mandal is an Assistant Professor at Amity University, Punjab. His research interests are in the investigation of ultrafast dynamics of finite quantum systems.

Kamal P. Singh is a Professor of physics at IISER Mohali. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2005 and did a couple of postdocs at Max-Planck Institute and Kansas State University, USA. His research interests include, among others, ultrafast quantum dynamics and attosecond physics.

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Tyagi, A., Mandal, A. & Singh, K.P. Attosecond Physics in a Nutshell. Reson 29, 227–245 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-024-0227-x

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