Ultra-Fast Light Pulses & Electron Dynamics with Francesca Calegari

Prof. Francesca Calegari at the University of Hamburg and DESY studies ultra-fast light pulses and attosecond technology—allowing scientists to observe rapid electron dynamics in real time. Her work is opening new possibilities for materials science and quantum research.

In this episode

• Why matter is never still, and how attosecond light pulses let Francesca watch electrons, the fastest movers in a molecule
• How high-order harmonic generation turns a laser into attosecond pulses, and how a flash photography trick turns them into electron movies
• Why experimentalists and theorists work together to turn the signals into a molecular movie
• Her path from a microscope her mother gave her, via Politecnico di Milano and an ERC Starting Grant, to the University of Hamburg and DESY
• The work she is proudest of: the first attosecond studies of electron motion in amino acids, despite the sceptics, and the shortest ultraviolet pulses used for measurements
• Her roles beyond research, and her three wishes: funding that leaves room for open research, more diversity in science, and more time in the lab

Key Takeaways

✨ Understanding Attosecond Technology — Attosecond pulses allow scientists to capture the rapid movements of electrons, offering insight into dynamic processes within matter previously impossible to observe.

🔬 The Role of DESY — DESY’s facilities provide critical tools for cutting-edge X-ray and synchrotron experiments that push the limits of light-matter interaction research.

🚀 Ultra-Fast Spectroscopy and its Potential — Studying material behaviour at incredibly short timescales opens new avenues in materials science and reveals fundamental material properties.

🌍 Diversity in Science — Diverse perspectives enrich research and foster innovation. Francesca reflects on the challenges of being a woman in academia and the importance of mentoring the next generation.

💡 Challenges of Research Funding — Restrictive funding models can limit the freedom to explore uncharted scientific territories—why flexible support for fundamental research matters.

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About the guest

Francesca Calegari is Professor of Physics at Universität Hamburg and Lead Scientist at DESY in Germany. She studies how electrons move inside molecules using attosecond light pulses, and her team was the first to record an “electron movie” in a biochemically complex molecule, the amino acid phenylalanine.