Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Advances in femtosecond laser technology ultimately enabled the field of ultrafast science, allowing for the study of dynamical processes occurring in nature on femtosecond and attosecond timescales. From the kinetics of chemical reactions to the dynamics of collective excitations in condensed matter, time-resolving ultrafast process unveils their microscopic origins and yields invaluable information on transient phenomena such as, for example, dressing of quasiparticles, decoherence mechanisms, etc. This ability to trace the evolution of collective excitations and their correlations has advanced our understanding of many-body interactions and their emergent macroscopic properties. Our Team firmly believes that advances in femtosecond laser technology are poised to unlock a new era, where light and matter fields can be accessed from the entirely new perspective of quantum field theory. From this perspective, in this proposal we are seeking funding to purchase a state-of-the-art custom-designed commercial erbium-doped fiber femtosecond fiber laser, which delivers two independent and mutually coherent optical pulse trains. Combined with the possibility of independent amplitude modulation of both outputs, such system provides a front-end toward many experiments at the forefront of contemporary science. In this proposal, our team will explore three research thrusts involving quantum sampling of electromagnetic fields in the terahertz to mid-infrared frequency range, coherent optical control of spins of single electrons or holes in novel single quantum emitters and investigation of inhibition of thermal transport in isotopically engineered quantum well-embedded nanowire systems. High stability and high modulation of this source will be the enabling technology for realization of these experiments. Once combined with the custom-built nonlinear broadening stages described in the proposal, the system will be unique not only to Polytechnique de Montreal, but most likely Canada-wide and funding will bring us one step closer to creating a novel user facility for non-linear and quantum spectroscopy in Montreal.Funding would also enable construction of the ""Ultrafast and Quantum Photonics"" laboratory of Seletskiy, Canada Research Chair at PolyMTL. Furthermore, province of Qubec is home to ITF, TeraXion, CorActive some of the flagship companies in the fiber-optics industry which are potential employers of our future student trainees, being exposed to state-of-the-art femtosecond fiber technology in an academic environment. Therefore training of highly qualified personnel will also benefit local economy through indirect support of the high-technology sector of the job market.