An X-ray view of light-driven quantum materials 

Intense ultrashort lasers are an extremely effective tool for controlling the properties of quantum materials and inducing emergent states with novel functionalities. Some of the most spectacular light-induced phenomena, such as superconducting-like phases, transient charge density wave ordering, and excitonic condensation, are found to occur in materials dominated by strong electronic correlations with a large susceptibility to external stimuli. Microscopically understanding these states of matter requires a direct measurement of their transient electronic dynamics and effective interactions. In this talk, I will show how ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy enables interrogating the microscopic physics of photoexcited quantum materials with unprecedented detail. I will discuss the generation of prethermal and metastable electronic states in light-driven Mott insulators, which are key to the emergence -pairing condensation and light-driven superconductivity. Further, I will illustrate how femtosecond x-rays can systematically determine the charge and spin dynamics of these nonequilibrium phases. 
 

https://mitrano.physics.harvard.edu/