Collection 

Light-induced states of matter

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The use of light to manipulate electronic states of matter has been a subject of intense investigation since almost two centuries, starting from Becquerel’s 1839 discovery of the photovoltaic effect, and marking pioneering breakthroughs in our understanding of the quantum nature of light and matter, with Einstein’s 1905 theory of the photoelectric effect. However, it is only with the advent of lasers and nonlinear optics that this field experienced a distinctive shift, with the possibility to induce novel light-matter quasiparticle states such as polaritons, or to drive out-of-equilibrium phenomena on time scales of the order of electron dynamics in condensed matter systems. Recent examples of the progress made along this route include the realization of exciton-polariton condensates in optical microcavities; the development of topological nanophotonics, structured light, and Floquet engineering of quantum materials; the use of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy to drive non-equilibrium phase transitions and induce correlated electronic states such as high-temperature superconductivity; the advance in experimental characterization of electron and lattice dynamics in materials by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, femtosecond laser pulses, higher-harmonic generation, and ultrafast electron diffraction.

This Collection brings together the latest advances in the use of nonlinear optical phenomena to induce, manipulate, and probe non-equilibrium states of matter.

We welcome the submission of any original research Article, Review, or Perspective related to light-induced or light-controlled states of matter. All submissions will be subject to the same review process and editorial standards as regular Communications Materials Articles.

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Editors

  • Javier Martín-Sánchez, PhD , 

    Javier Martín-Sánchez, PhD

    University of Oviedo, Spain

  • Hamid Ohadi, PhD , 

    Hamid Ohadi, PhD

    University of St Andrews, UK

  • Yijie Shen, PhD , 

    Yijie Shen, PhD

    Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

  • Jun Takeda, PhD  &

    Jun Takeda, PhD

    Department of Physics, Faculty of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, Japan

  • Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, PhD

    Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, PhD

    Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), BIST and CSIC, Spain