QML – SUPERVenice

Group Activity

The “Quantum Matter and Light” (QML) Laboratory, led by Prof. Stefano Bonetti, Dr. Riccardo Piccoli, and Dr. Riccardo Arpaia, is a research group focused on exploring condensed matter systems using advanced laser technologies spanning from terahertz to extreme ultraviolet and soft X-rays. By leveraging these laser sources, the team investigates the fundamental properties of quantum materials, aiming to uncover new insights into how matter behaves at microscopic and atomic levels.

Ultrafast magnetism

The QML Laboratory’s research in ultrafast magnetism focuses on exploring how magnetic properties in materials can be controlled on extremely short timescales, down to the femtosecond range, using intense laser pulses. By leveraging terahertz and laser light sources, the group investigates the dynamic processes that govern the interaction between light and magnetic order in condensed matter systems. Through techniques such as the magneto-optical Kerr effect, the team captures the rapid evolution of magnetization and lattice dynamics in time. These studies aim to develop a deeper understanding of how phonons, magnons, can be coherently controlled to influence magnetic states, opening new avenues for ultrafast magnetic switching and next-generation technologies in data storage and processing.

M. Basini et al.: Terahertz electric-field-driven dynamical multiferroicity in SrTiO3. Nature 628, 534–539 (2024).
R. Salikhov et al.: Coupling of terahertz light with nanometre-wavelength magnon modes via spin–orbit torque. Nature Physics 19, 529–535 (2023).

Terahertz technology

Besides using terahertz (THz) radiation to drive and probe coherent dynamics in matter, the QML Laboratory is also exploring THz radiation for time-domain spectroscopy and imaging applications. THz technology offers unique capabilities for investigating materials, as it lies between the microwave and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, providing non-invasive probing with low-photon energy that avoids causing deleterious effects to sensitive materials. Moreover, lattice dynamics (phonons) and rota-/vibra-tional modes of molecules are located in this region, enabling spectroscopic recognition of materials. The QML Laboratory is pioneering new methods, metamaterials, and imaging techniques that can be applied across a wide range of fields.

Ultrafast and strong-field phenomena

The QML Laboratory is also advancing research in ultrafast optics and high-order harmonic generation (HHG), key areas for understanding light-matter interactions on extremely short timescales. One focus of this research is the study of ultrafast laser pulse propagation through gas-filled hollow-core waveguides, enabling the generation of short and intense transients of light in the near-infrared and visible domains. At the same time, in collaboration with external partners, we are also investigating the generation of extreme ultraviolet vector beams in gases and exploring the dynamics in solids through HHG. These efforts aim to unveil innovative methods for controlling and probing the dynamics of matter on exceptionally fast timescales, reaching down to the attosecond regime.

R. Piccoli et al.: Intense few-cycle visible pulses directly generated via nonlinear fibre mode mixing. Nature Photonics 15, 884–889 (2021).

Quantum Materials Growth and Spectroscopy

The QML Laboratory is also actively engaged in the synthesis and investigation of quantum materials, with a particular focus on high-temperature superconductors. These materials are grown as thin films using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at the cleanroom facilities of the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden), to which the team has direct access.

By tailoring the synthesis conditions and applying external parameters such as epitaxial strain and nanoscale confinement, the group explores novel ways to control and manipulate the quantum properties of these materials. The goal is to understand how these external stimuli can enhance or suppress superconducting and correlated phases.

A key component of this research involves synchrotron-based spectroscopy, in particular Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS). Through RIXS experiments carried out at leading European synchrotrons—including ESRF (Grenoble), Diamond Light Source (Oxford), and BESSY II (Berlin)—the team probes elementary excitations such as charge, lattice vibrations, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom. This allows to explore the microscopic mechanisms underpinning the macroscopic behavior of quantum materials, aiming to shed light on still-unresolved phenomena such as unconventional superconductivity.

Ultimately, by deciphering these mechanisms, the group aims to guide the rational design of next-generation superconductors with higher critical temperatures and transformative technological impact.

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