Theoretical attosecond and strong field solid state physics

我的建议是围绕强激光与固体在超快光子学，纳米光子学和凝聚态物理交叉的相互作用。***我的提案的第一部分侧重于低于材料损伤阈值的激光强度。近年来，实验证明了固体中的高谐波产生。当谐波辐射在激光亚周期时间尺度（~飞秒）上发射时，会产生阿秒（asec）脉冲。这就产生了阿秒场和强场固体物理。在过去的几年里，我的理论工作对塑造这一领域做出了重大贡献。我的建议的第一部分以这些结果为基础，这使我处于继续作出关键贡献的非常有利的地位。越来越多的组织开始进入这一领域；由于时间紧迫，我请求1PDF， PhD #1和MSc #1进行建议的量子理论研究。它将侧重于具有实际和根本意义的关键问题。我们如何使阿秒固体辐射源更有效，从而具有实际意义？固体中的HHG如何被用于开发新的材料诊断方法，如测量价电子密度和时间分辨超快过程，如集体激发？为了回答这些问题，必须发展新的理论工具和模型。其中，我的研究将推动（非摄动）多体量子动力学，这仍然是理论物理的主要挑战之一。***第二部分是关于微粒子在细胞（MicPIC）方法的应用，该方法通过激光传播自洽地解决经典多体动力学问题。它使我们能够在微观和宏观的光物质演化动力学之间架起一座桥梁。MicPIC捕获了多体库仑相互作用及其与所有阶的相关性，这是一种独特的能力。这对于高强度的激光材料相互作用非常重要，在这种情况下会发生损伤，并产生经典的固体密度等离子体。没有其他方法可以正确地模拟所产生的强耦合等离子体动力学。我的部分建议将集中在理解碰撞和等离子体纳米场在激光材料加工中的重要性。这将导致激光制造工艺的优化。第二部分将重点介绍纳米光子学以及通过纳米天线和纳米谐振器增强强场和非线性过程。虽然MicPIC不是为此目的而开发的，但我们发现它非常适合模拟金属纳米系统的非线性响应。我将使用MicPIC来获得诸如等离子体增强HHG和非线性光学等热点问题的见解，这些问题无法通过任何其他方法可靠地建模。由于MicPIC的独特性，时间压力较小。这就是为什么我要求第二部分的PhD #2和MSc #2，而不是PDF。**

My proposal is centered around the interaction of intense laser light with solids at the intersection of ultrafast photonics, nanophotonics, and condensed matter physics. ***Part I of my proposal focuses on laser intensities below material damage threshold. Recently high harmonic generation (HHG) in solids was demonstrated experimentally. As harmonic radiation is emitted on a laser sub-cycle time scale (~femtosecond (fs)), it results in the emission of attosecond (asec) pulses. This has created the field of attosecond and strong field solid state physics. Over the past few years my theoretical work has substantially contributed to shaping this field. Part I of my proposal builds on these results which puts me in a very good position to continue making key contributions. More groups have started moving into the field; as time is of essence, I request 1PDF, PhD #1 and MSc #1 to conduct the suggested quantum theory research. It will be focused on key questions of practical and fundamental relevance. How can we make attosecond solid state radiation sources more efficient and therewith practically relevant? How can HHG in solids be used to develop new diagnostic methods for materials, such as measuring the valence electron density, and time resolving ultrafast processes, such as collective excitations? To answer these questions new theoretical tools and models will have to be developed. Among those, my research will drive forward (non-perturbative) many-body quantum dynamics which has remained one of the major challenges of theoretical physics. ***Part II is about applications of the microscopic particle in cell (MicPIC) method which solves classical many-body dynamics self-consistently with laser propagation. It allows us to bridge the microscopic and macroscopic dynamics of light matter evolution. MicPIC captures many-body Coulomb interaction and resulting correlation to all orders which is a unique capacity. This is important for laser material interaction at higher intensities where damage occurs and a classical solid density plasma is created. There is no other method that can model the resulting strongly coupled plasma dynamics correctly. Part of my proposal will be focused on understanding the importance of collisions and plasma nano-fields in laser material machining. This will result in optimization of laser manufacturing processes. The second part will be focused on nano-photonics and the enhancement of strong field and nonlinear processes through nano-antennas and nano-resonators. Although MicPIC was not developed for this purpose we found it well suited to model the nonlinear response of metallic nano-systems. I will use MicPIC to gain insights on topical problems such as plasmon enhanced HHG and nonlinear optics which cannot be reliably modeled by any other approach. Due to the uniqueness of MicPIC there is less time pressure. This is why I request PhD #2 and MSc #2 for part II and no PDF. **