Alberto de la Torre

Sponsor: DOE

Light-induced metastability in quantum materials

This project uses precisely tuned ultrafast laser pulses to trap quantum materials in exotic, short-lived “metastable” states — normally lasting only trillionths of a second — for much longer durations, by reshaping the material’s underlying energy landscape. PI de la Torre’s team will combine in-house laser spectroscopy with X-ray techniques at national synchrotron and free-electron laser facilities, including a new polarization-resolved X-ray scattering method under development at the upgraded Advanced Photon Source. The work aims to advance understanding of quantum materials far from equilibrium and open new avenues for technologies built on these light-induced phases.