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  • Perspective
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The attoscience of strong-field-driven solids

Nature Reviews Physics volume 7, pages 38–49 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

The ultrafast dynamics of electrons in solid-state systems have garnered considerable attention recently, driven by technological advancements in the generation of short laser pulses from femtosecond down to attosecond durations. Techniques such as high-order harmonic generation (HHG) and attosecond transient absorption and reflection spectroscopy (ATAS and ATRS) provide valuable insights into sub-cycle dynamics, rendering the interaction of solids with intense laser fields a pivotal area of research. However, discrepancies in the explanation of the underlying mechanisms remain, requiring further analysis. This Perspective focuses on the relationship between the above techniques, highlighting their efficacy in probing charge dynamics induced by intense laser pulses in solid-state systems. We emphasize the importance of unified theoretical frameworks to advance our understanding of the strong-field attoscience of solids, while recognizing points of disparity between theoretical descriptions and experimental findings. By drawing attention to the complementary nature of HHG and both ATAS and ATRS, and by illustrating the key applications enabled by them, this Perspective aims to motivate stronger collaborations and concerted efforts to bridge the existing gaps between theory and experiment and propel the field forward.

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Fig. 1: Light–matter interaction for high-order harmonic generation and attosecond transient absorption and reflection spectroscopy.
Fig. 2: Experimental and theoretical results exemplifying strong-field dynamics in solids accessed by ATAS and HHG.
Fig. 3: Examples of applications within the attoscience of solids.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to C.F.d.M. Faria and the organizers of the Quantum Battles in Attoscience 2023 (particularly to K. Hamilton and L. Rodríguez) at the University College of London for bringing them together and providing the opportunity to present their perspectives on the attoscience of solids. S.M.C. acknowledges support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant TReSFiDS No. 886092. K.M.K. acknowledges PhD funding from the Royal Society URF/R1/191759. F.O.N. gratefully acknowledges funding by the German Research Foundation, SFB 1477 ‘Light-Matter Interactions at Interfaces’, project number 441234705. J.R.-D. acknowledges support from the Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the European Social Fund (L’FSE inverteix en el teu futur)–FEDER, the Government of Spain (Severo Ochoa CEX2019-000910-S and TRANQI), Fundació Cellex, Fundació Mir-Puig, Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA programme) and the ERC AdG CERQUTE.

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Author notes

  1. Stefano M. Cavaletto

    Present address: Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  2. These authors contributed equally: Stefano M. Cavaletto, Katarzyna M. Kowalczyk, Francisco O. Navarrete, Javier Rivera-Dean.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Stefano M. Cavaletto

  2. Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Katarzyna M. Kowalczyk

  3. Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Francisco O. Navarrete

  4. ICFO – Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Spain

    Javier Rivera-Dean

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Cavaletto, S.M., Kowalczyk, K.M., Navarrete, F.O. et al. The attoscience of strong-field-driven solids. Nat Rev Phys 7, 38–49 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-024-00784-3

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