Attosecond Photoelectron Imaging with Quantum Light

About the Project

Professor Carla Faria invites applications for a fully funded 3.5-year PhD position at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London. The project lies at the intersection of attosecond physics and quantum technologies, with a focus on exploring how nonclassical light can control and probe ultrafast electron dynamics.

Attoseconds (10⁻¹⁸ s) represent one of the shortest natural timescales, where conventional decoherence mechanisms—such as thermal noise—may not have time to develop. This opens exciting opportunities for quantum technologies, including the controlled creation of entangled states and electron-light quantum superpositions (Cruz-Rodriguez et al., Nat. Rev. Phys. 6, 691, 2024). While high-harmonic generation has shown remarkable advances in this context, the role of photoelectrons remains underexplored.

The project will investigate ultrafast photoelectron holography, which captures attosecond-scale changes in matter via interference between multiple quantum pathways taken by an electron. At its core is the Coulomb-Quantum Orbit Strong-Field Approximation (CQSFA)—a powerful path-integral method developed at UCL (Faria & Maxwell, Rep. Prog. Phys. 83, 034401, 2020). While the CQSFA has previously assumed classical light fields, this project will extend it to a quantum electrodynamical framework.

The project will:

1. extend the CQSFA to a full quantum electrodynamic (QED) formulation that includes non-classical fields;
2. compute photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) under different quantum-light statistics;
3. study how electron and field degrees of freedom interact and become entangled;
4. develop measures to quantify this entanglement; and
5. explore field shaping as a tool to control holographic patterns and enhance quantum sensing capabilities.

The overarching goal is to uncover dynamic quantum features inaccessible through classical light or conventional methods. The project is linked to the APIQuL - Attosecond Photoelectron Imaging with Quantum Light collaboration, involving experimental (Stanford University, University of Arizona) and theoretical (ICFO Barcelona, Queen's University Belfast, University of Sarajevo) external partners.

This is a fully theoretical project. The successful candidate will gain experience in cutting-edge analytical and computational tools relevant to attoscience and quantum optics. Applicants should be a UK home student and hold (or expect to obtain) a Master’s degree in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, or a related field, with at least a 2:1 (or equivalent). Familiarity with path integrals and programming is desirable but not essential. For informal inquiries please contact Professor Faria at c.faria@ucl.ac.uk (see also http://www.uclatto.com).

Funding Notes

This is a 3.5 year studentship funded by the Physics Department, available for home students (UK or European with settled status)