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Photonics
Special Issues
Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules
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Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Interaction Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 2510

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chi-Hong Yuen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591, USA
Interests: strong field dissociative sequential double ionization (DSDI) spectroscopy; attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy
Prof. Dr. Songfeng Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, 967 Anning East Road, Anning District, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: quantum control of molecular dynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in diverse light sources spanning multiple wavelength regimes, combined with techniques such as electron rescattering, have enabled investigations into the dynamics and imaging of atoms and molecules at femtosecond and attosecond resolutions. Understanding how to initiate, observe, and control these ultrafast processes is crucial for deepening our knowledge of quantum mechanics and translating this understanding into practical applications across the physical sciences. This Special Issue aims to present recent advancements in laser-driven ultrafast dynamics and imaging, with a particular emphasis on innovative approaches enabled by emerging light sources of interest. We welcome original research exploring new ideas, methodologies, and applications, in addition to review articles, in this rapidly evolving field. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Attosecond pulse generation and applications;
  • Rescattering-based imaging techniques;
  • Laser-induced dynamics in atoms and molecules;
  • Emerging light sources for ultrafast science;
  • Quantum control of molecular dynamics.
  • THz wave generation and optimization

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Chi-Hong Yuen
Prof. Dr. Songfeng Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • laser induced dynamics
  • ultrafast imaging
  • strong field physics
  • rescattering physics
  • quantum control
  • pump-probe spectroscopy
  • attosecond science

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3683 KB  
Article
Spectrum Shaping of the Ultrabroadband Terahertz Radiation from Air Plasma Driven by Two-Color Bifilamentation
by Zefu Liu, Xuqian Qiu, Alexander A. Romanov, Vasily A. Kostin, Alexander A. Silaev, Chenhui Lu and Yi Liu
Photonics 2026, 13(5), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13050445 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 365
Abstract
We report on the generation and spectral shaping of ultrabroadband terahertz-to-infrared radiation (>119 THz) from air plasma excited by a conventional tightly focused femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulse with a duration of 35 fs assisted by its second harmonic (SH). A controllable and large [...] Read more.
We report on the generation and spectral shaping of ultrabroadband terahertz-to-infrared radiation (>119 THz) from air plasma excited by a conventional tightly focused femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulse with a duration of 35 fs assisted by its second harmonic (SH). A controllable and large frequency detuning between the SH and blueshifted component of the fundamental spectrum was achieved by utilizing spectral broadening of the fundamental pulse under filamentation and adjusting the longitudinal separation of the two cascaded filaments. For convenience, the resulting ultrabroadband emission is divided into a low-frequency part (<30 THz), an intermediate-frequency part (~50 THz), and a high-frequency part (~100 THz) that can be optimized with the filaments’ longitudinal separation. We attribute such ultrabroadband THz radiation generation to the excitation of photocurrent from the nonlinear interaction of SH with both the field at the fundamental frequency and its blueshifted component acquired during filamentation. Theoretical calculations based on time-dependent Schrödinger equation, as well as the Maxwell–Schrödinger equation for spectral broadening dynamics, reproduced the spectral features as well as the distinct dependence of the low- and high-frequency THz components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules)
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10 pages, 5355 KB  
Article
Ultrafast Manipulation of Broadband Terahertz Waves by a Double-Pulse Laser Field
by Li-Ping Li, Jin-Xu Du, Lei Zhang, Zhi-Hong Jiao, Song-Feng Zhao and Guo-Li Wang
Photonics 2026, 13(5), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13050442 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 428
Abstract
We present a method to control broadband terahertz generation rapidly during the interaction of a strong laser field with a gas. To achieve it, we utilize a few-cycle double-pulse, which is a combination of two identically colored femtosecond fields with a time delay, [...] Read more.
We present a method to control broadband terahertz generation rapidly during the interaction of a strong laser field with a gas. To achieve it, we utilize a few-cycle double-pulse, which is a combination of two identically colored femtosecond fields with a time delay, as a driving laser field. By varying the laser delay, the magnitude of the amplitude of generated terahertz field changes drastically, making it suitable for use as a terahertz optical ultrafast switch, with an optical period of only a few femtoseconds from ON-OFF-ON and an enhancement ratio of 100. Furthermore, a change in time delay can alter the terahertz field waveform, easily generating terahertz electric fields with positive and negative polarity or any phase in the range of [0, 1.0π]. The strength of such terahertz source can be boosted by raising the laser wavelength. Our study will provide an effective approach for ultrafast terahertz modulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules)
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14 pages, 2765 KB  
Article
Spectral Phase Control in Dissociation Dynamics of HD+ by Strong Laser Fields
by Tong Cheng, Wen-Quan Jing, Jin-Xu Du, Zeng-Qiang Yang, Zhi-Hong Jiao, Guo-Li Wang and Song-Feng Zhao
Photonics 2026, 13(4), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13040383 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 414
Abstract
Achieving selective cleavage of specific chemical bonds using ultrafast laser pulses remains a central challenge in ultrafast strong-field molecular physics. Here, we theoretically investigate the coherent control of strong-field dissociation of the heteronuclear molecular ion HD+ initially prepared in vibrationally excited states [...] Read more.
Achieving selective cleavage of specific chemical bonds using ultrafast laser pulses remains a central challenge in ultrafast strong-field molecular physics. Here, we theoretically investigate the coherent control of strong-field dissociation of the heteronuclear molecular ion HD+ initially prepared in vibrationally excited states driven by an ultrashort pulse with a quadratic spectral phase. Our results reveal a pronounced sensitivity of both the total dissociation probability and the branching ratio (H+ + D vs. H + D+) to the chirp rate of the laser pulse. To uncover the underlying physical mechanism, we analyze the population dynamics in the coupled 1sσ and 2pσ electronic states and identify pronounced Rabi oscillations arising from the coherent interplay between multiphoton excitation and field-induced stimulated emission. By tuning the laser chirp rate, these oscillations can be suppressed via quantum interference, thereby reshaping the dissociation dynamics and significantly enhancing the dissociation probability of the H + D+ channel. These findings demonstrate that spectral-phase engineering provides a robust and versatile strategy for selective control of branching ratios in strong-field molecular dissociation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules)
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13 pages, 1722 KB  
Article
Control of Multiphoton Excitation and Ionization Channels in Atoms Driven by Two-Color Femtosecond Laser Pulses
by Shu-Qiao Li, Liang Xu, Jia-Hao Dong, Yi-Jia Mao, Xue-Min He, Zhao-Han Zhang, Hong-Bin Yao, Lu-Ning Li, Wei-Ming Xu and Yi Liu
Photonics 2026, 13(3), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13030236 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 626
Abstract
By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), we study the elementary excitation and ionization processes of atomic hydrogen on the same footing, which is irradiated by the two-color laser fields composed of a strong 400 nm pulse and a weak 800 nm [...] Read more.
By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), we study the elementary excitation and ionization processes of atomic hydrogen on the same footing, which is irradiated by the two-color laser fields composed of a strong 400 nm pulse and a weak 800 nm pulse. We find that under different intensities of the 400 nm laser, the ionization and excitation probabilities exhibit completely distinct modulations with the variation in the intensity of the 800 nm laser. Electron energy spectra (EESs), including above-threshold ionization (ATI) peaks and below-threshold bound states, indicate that the involvement of Rydberg states and the shift of low-energy ATI peaks due to the increase in the ponderomotive energy are the primary causes of the above-mentioned modulation behavior. By virtue of a quantum-state-resolved numerical method, the angular-momentum-resolved EES reveal how the addition of the 800 nm laser field perturbs and modifies the strong, 400 nm dominated multiphoton excitation and ionization channels. Our study provides a flexible control strategy for multiphoton excitation and ionization in atoms and even molecules and further advances the understanding of the complex ultrafast dynamics driven by two-color femtosecond laser fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging in Atoms and Molecules)
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