2024-04-11 16:54:00
The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has gained new assistant professor Denitsa Baykusheva, a specialist in ultrafast laser spectroscopy. By developing the technology to study the interaction between light and matter from the perspective of quantum physics, Baykusheva seeks to bridge the gap between ultrafast physics and quantum mechanics. This bridging of disciplines could lead to the development of new materials and ultra-fast electronics.
As one of the newest assistant professors at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Denitsa Baykusheva talks about her ideas and plans over coffee on a busy Friday morning. True to ISTA’s interdisciplinary mission, she conducts research at the interface of physics, physical chemistry and materials science. During her doctorate at ETH Zurich and research stays at the Stanford PULSE Institute for Ultrafast Energy Science and Harvard University, she specialized in studying the interaction between light and matter mediated by ultra-short, intense laser fields. “My research group at ISTA aims to bring the fields of ultrafast physics and quantum mechanics closer together,” says Baykusheva.
Light and Matter: Quantum Mechanics on Both Sides of the Interaction
Often referred to as the “glue of matter,” electrons are actually quantum entities at the microscopic level. In certain solids, the quantum properties of electrons go beyond the tiny scales of the quantum world. On a large scale, they lead to interesting collective behaviors such as superconductivity or quantum magnetism. Such materials, known for their strong electron correlations, are often referred to as “quantum materials.” Their exotic physical properties make quantum materials particularly useful for research, but also for electronics, photonics, energy storage and information technology.
In the past century, physicists have mostly used external stimuli such as pressure or electric and magnetic fields to create and change new states of matter. “In recent years, ultrashort, intense laser fields have made it possible to discover new properties of quantum materials by stabilizing transient out-of-equilibrium states of matter,” says Baykusheva. However, to date, ultrafast light-matter interactions have not been fully studied from the perspective of quantum physics. Instead, the principles of quantum mechanics were applied to only one side of the interaction – the matter part – while light was still seen as a classical electromagnetic field. This perspective is therefore called “semi-classical”.
New materials for ultrafast electronics
The semi-classical perspective focuses primarily on average light intensities. However, the number of photons can exhibit characteristic fluctuations, even in a vacuum, explains Baykusheva. By analyzing the light fluctuations during light-matter interactions, she wants to learn more about the intrinsic fluctuation of material properties. This information is crucial for understanding the thermal and quantum phase transitions in the materials. “How the strong correlations between electrons in systems such as superconductors affect the quantum properties of light – and vice versa – is still largely unexplored,” adds Baykusheva.
Baykusheva’s work will help develop new materials with new properties: “The overarching goal of my research group is to fully integrate ultrafast spectroscopy into the field of quantum physics. By better understanding this gap, we gain deeper insight into education ordered macroscopic phases and can thus create new phases of matter.” In addition, the Baykusheva Group’s research could further advance the development of ultra-fast electronics, one of the most promising technologies of the digital future.
Hightech-Laser
To achieve her goals, Baykusheva is currently equipping two dedicated laboratory spaces with cutting-edge technologies to examine two complementary aspects of her research: temporal resolution and spatial resolution. “For our work as an experimental research group, which relies on tiny measurements with ultra-fast optics, stable environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity must be guaranteed,” says Baykusheva. This is necessary to control matter on extremely short time scales and over tiny distances. “One of our laboratories will be equipped with a laser system that emits photons at 800 nanometers, at the border between visible light and the near infrared,” explains Baykusheva.
“However, to study the collective excitations that underlie complex behaviors of matter at the macro level, we need to convert the light pulses into the mid-infrared to terahertz region of the spectrum. At these frequencies, the laser beams are invisible to the naked eye. That’s why “We will build our own devices to generate and detect these frequencies and manipulate their photon states.” This technology will allow Baykusheva to unbalance materials and then interrogate their atomic and subatomic properties on their natural timescales. “The ultimate goal is to explore states of matter that are unattainable under equilibrium conditions.”
These experiments examine the properties of matter on a scale of tens to hundreds of micrometers, comparable to the size of a typical fog droplet. However, such an optical focal point is far too large to study local quantum properties with high spatial resolution. “In the second laboratory space, we will develop tools to overcome the light diffraction limit and study long-range quantum properties in solids, including quantum entanglement, directly in real space,” explains Baykusheva.
Research at the limits of what is possible
The opportunity to conduct independent research at the intersection of several disciplines brought the Bulgarian-born woman to ISTA. “The level of independence and technical support I receive at ISTA, as well as the representation of quantum physics in the campus community, is such that there are very few places like ISTA,” she says. “Quite apart from the Nobel Prize in Physics 2022, which was awarded to the quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger, there is a lively quantum community in Austria, ranging from the ISTA to various universities.” In addition to establishing research collaborations in Austria, Baykusheva is currently focusing on building a team. “I hope for highly motivated students and postdocs who are willing to take risks and conduct very demanding research at the limits of what is possible.”
Media contact: Andreas Rothe andreas.rothe@ista.ac.at +43 664 8832 6510
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