The research group works experimentally on quantum engineering of ultrashort optical pulses for applications in strong field light-matter interactions. Coherent radiation from the infrared to the extreme ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum is studied and adapted to specific needs. One example is the filamentation of intense ultrashort pulses in the visible spectral region.

The main focus is to provide broad optical bandwidths allowing for ultrashort pulses
particularly with regard to the shortest pulses in the attosecond domain. Such pulses are measured by specialized instrumentation like charged particle time of flight or velocity map imaging devices. Attosecond metrology in combination with charged particle spectroscopy is used for the study of ultrafast electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solid materials.

Another focus is the investigation of new concepts for efficient EUV frequency conversion. Phase-matching techniques are investigated as well as novel target geometries such as single water droplets. Such novel approaches can be used for applications like molecular imaging or high-resolution Fourier spectroscopy in the soft-X-ray range.

E. Schulz, T. Binhammer, D. S. Steingrube, S. Rausch, M. Kovačev, and U. Morgner
Intense few-cycle laser pulses from self-compression in a self-guiding filament
Appl. Phys. B 95, 269–272 (2009)

D. S. Steingrube, E. Schulz, T. Binhammer, T. Vockerodt, U. Morgner, and M. Kovačev
Generation of high-order harmonics with ultra-short pulses from filamentation
Opt. Exp. 17, 16177-16182 (2009)

D. S. Steingrube, T. Vockerodt, E. Schulz, U. Morgner, and M. Kovačev
Phase matching of high-order harmonics in a semi-infinite gas cell
PRA 80, 043819 (2009)