In the focus of ultrashort lasers: the interplay of electronic and crystalline structure

Many material properties and the function of complex devices are governed by the interplay and the interaction of electrons and the atomic structure on the microscopic scale. These fundamental processes are investigated with the help of time-resolved experimental methods. In these experiments, the electrons in a material are excited by means of an ultrashort laser pulse and the response of the electrons and of the atomic structure are observed with different ultrafast techniques, revealing the interaction of electrons and lattice and illuminating effects like the dissipation of energy.