We are delighted to welcome Professor Caterina Vozzi to the school as part of our 2024-25 Sir Harrie Massey Colloquia Series.

Professor Vozzi will deliver a lecture titled 'Attosecond Science for the Study of Electron Dynamics in Matter'. An abstract and biography can be found below.

Abstract:

Our understanding of the microscopic world has been revolutionized by exploring matter on ultrafast time scales. The development and application of light pulses lasting from femtoseconds (10^-15 seconds) to attoseconds (10^-18 seconds) have opened new possibilities for observing and influencing quantum mechanical processes in real time. Attosecond science, by uncovering ultrafast processes in matter, can reveal the mysteries and potentials of chemical reactions and foster technologies such as ultrafast lasers and attosecond spectroscopy. It stands at the forefront of both fundamental research and technological innovation. Investigating electron behaviour at ultrafast time scales through attosecond science is essential for comprehending and potentially influencing molecular transformations, with implications across fields like medicine and materials science.

This lecture will discuss the topic of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics: the discovery of the non-linear optical process known as High-order Harmonic Generation (HHG). This breakthrough has revolutionized the field of ultrafast science by enabling the creation of attosecond light pulses, thus allowing the examination of the most fleeting events in the behaviour of matter.

Biography:

Caterina Vozzi is a Research Director at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and, since 2023, has served as the Director of the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN). She leads the "Ultrafast Dynamics in Matter" research group at CNR-IFN (www.udyni.eu), where she advances the field of ultrafast spectroscopy applied to atomic and molecular physics, attosecond science, and materials science. Her work has been pivotal in pioneering high-order harmonic spectroscopy and attosecond science using mid-infrared driving sources. Currently, her research is focused on leveraging ultrafast spectroscopy to explore the photophysics and photochemistry of molecules and materials.