Attosecond observation and control of collective electron dynamics in complex matter

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After their first realization in 2001, the generation and characterization of attosecond (1 as = 10-18s) laser pulses has been significantly advanced. Two major tools are now at hand that can be used to explore ultrafast physics. The first is the ability to control electronic motion via waveform-controlled laser fields. The second is the availability of single attosecond pulses that can be used to probe electronic motion in real-time. We will use these tools for the first time to study collective electron dynamics in nanoscopic and mesoscopic systems. Collective electron dynamics are of particular importance for the optical response of nanoparticles. These materials are of huge fundamental interest and have wide applications ranging from markers in medicine and biology over catalysts in chemistry to quantum computers. The motivation for studies on nanoparticles is related to the possibility of tailoring their dynamical behavior on the basis of size and shape. For the first time, we will explore electron dynamics in nanoparticles and clusters with sub-femtosecond time resolution. This way, we can gain information on the collective electronic properties of these materials on a timescale on which they occur in nature. Our work can have a huge impact on the development of nanoplasmonic devices.