Ultrahigh-intensity laser physics and development, relativistic laser-plasma interactions

Experimental and theoretical research in the fields of Quantum Optics, Quantum Information, Quantum Technology, and Atomic Physics.

In the terahertz regime, engineered metasurface modes strongly couple to vibrational excitations of glucose molecules, giving rise to hybridized, delocalized states of light and matter—an example of cavity quantum electrodynamics explored in our Theoretical Quantum Technologies group.

Quantum optical methods are suitable for testing fundamental physics and are building blocks for the application of quantum technologies in sensor technology and metrology. The research topics range from quantum gases to atomic optics, from non-linear quantum optical effects to atomic interferometry and from quantum metrology to inertial sensors.

Our research focuses on the exploitation of nonclassical states of light for both fundamental phenomena in quantum physics and application orientated quantum technologies. This ranges from generation of entangled photon pairs or other genuine quantum states of light towards their application in terms of quantum imaging and sensing. Moreover, laser-written waveguide lattices will serve as testbed for fundamental physics as well for photonic quantum walks.

The research projects on Nonlinear Optics & Quantum Optics deal with coherent light-matter interactions to control optical properties and processes in quantum systems. In particular we aim at novel protocols to implement optical memories as an important prerequisite for optical quantum technologies, new control approaches to enhance ultra-fast nonlinear frequency conversion processes, and performant techniques of nonlinear spectroscopy to detect or image samples of molecular species.

Quantum physics rules the interaction of photons with matter. This raises fundamental questions and leads to metrological applications. We analyze theoretically experiments from matter-wave physics with quantum gases in micro-gravity to laser development.

We conduct experiments in the field of laser physics and quantum optics using the laser with its almost endless possibilites.