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Laboratory for Non-linear Optics (LNO)
We develop and operate state-of-the-art laser systems for driving the high brightness electron source of the Hard X-ray Swiss Free Electron Laser (SwissFEL), and for pump-probe experiments at the photon-science beamlines. We improve and extend these systems according to the user requirements.
We pursue in-house research activities at the Hard X-ray Swiss Free Electron Laser (SwissFEL) and Swiss Light Source (SLS) beamlines exploiting LNO’s laser facilities. We perform R&D on laser-driven electron sources in close collaboration with PSI’s accelerator division.
Latest Scientific Highlights and News
Scientific Highlights
Structural involvement in the melting of the charge density wave in 1T-TiSe2
The authors find using resonant and non-resonant x-ray diffraction on an x-ray free electron laser that the structural distortion and the underlying electronic structure of the charge density wave in TiSe2 show different energetics at ultrafast timescales. This indicates that the lattice distortion stabilizes the charge density wave.
Clocking the movement of electrons inside an atom
Scientists pioneer an approach called self-referenced streaking, clocking Auger electrons with sub-femtosecond resolution. The breakthrough will unlock the broader potential for attosecond time resolution at X-ray free-electron lasers
A novel terahertz source for selective phonon excitation
Excitation of coherent phonons using light is an emerging approach for investigating condensed matter physics. It has the potential not only to reveal the dynamics of collective lattice vibrations but also to tailor them for the ultrafast control over the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties in solids. The optical phonons, in most solids, lie primarily in the spectral region between 1 and 10 THz. Unlike conventional laser sources, coherent radiation at these frequencies allows us to study time-resolved lattice displacements with only minor deposition of heat or generation of hot electrons. However, the available high-field terahertz sources, with their quasi-single cycle temporal shape and broadband spectrum, cannot be used to excite the individual phonon modes. By contrast, the challenge of understanding the transient dynamics of low-energy excitations calls for novel sources of narrow-band terahertz radiation at high intensities that can be tuned to the individual phonon resonances. Moreover, with strong enough fields tuned precisely to a phonon resonance, non-linearities in the material can be targeted and potentially exploited.