As we delve into the microscopic world, the familiar laws of physics take a captivating twist. Nedjma Ouahioune and Nelia Zaiats invite you to join them in unravelling the mysteries of particles in matter in a project granted a Young Investigator Synergy Award 2023.
“Our project is a journey to understand the dynamics of charge currents induced by light (electron waves) in nanostructures”, says Nedjma Ouahioune. It all started when Nedjma, working on advanced laser systems capable of delivering attosecond (10-18 s) light pulses in the so-called “MHz laboratory”, and Nelia at the Synchrotron Radiation Research, putting forward her nanofabrication and advanced imaging systems background, sparked a thought: What if we combined a photoelectron microscope with the fastest laser known… Could we learn something new about the dynamics of electron waves throughout their interaction with light? From this question, the two doctoral students decided they needed access to the electronic structure and the energy distribution of the emitted electrons within these short time scales.
In this project, the plan is to use two light sources simultaneously – both to excite the charge currents and to resolve their temporal evolution throughout propagation. “To observe the charge currents in the real and reciprocal space, we aim to integrate our energy-resolved photoemission electron microscope with our lasers”, says Nedjma. Nelia continues by describing that selecting the right structures for interaction is crucial, as they must be tailored to have an optical response compatible with the laser facility. “Our experimental research aims to fundamentally understand the coherent propagation of electrons and the structures that sustain them”, Nelia says.
Nedjma and Nelia invite you to come along as they embark on this scientific journey, striving to unlock the secrets of this intricate interplay between light and electrons!
About the team
Nedjma Ouahioune is a PhD student at Atomic Physics. In her research, she studies ultrafast electron dynamics in small quantum systems with an attosecond resolution.
Nelia Zaiats is a PhD student at Synchrotron Radiation Research. Her research focuses on fabricating and studying dynamics in nanostructures with advanced light sources down to atomic length and time scales.
Pairing Nelia’s experience in fabricating and following dynamics in nanostructures together with Nedjma’s expertise to study quantum systems with attosecond pulses is a perfect match for this project. The team wishes to recognise the great support from their supervisors, who agreed to host the project.
Read about the other projects granted the Light & Materials Young Investigator Award 2023:
- Confined light-matter interactions and exciton dynamics with a versatile tuneable microcavity
- Harnessing Cutting-Edge Light sources in Lund for Insights and Applications of Synthesized Carbonaceous Nanoparticles
- Light-Driven Material Optimization
- Optimizing New Generation Sustainable GaInP Nanowire based micro-LEDs (μ-LEDs) with AI-Enhanced Functional Imaging
