Resources

Resources for Prospective Students and New Group Members

Joining a research group for a PhD or BS-MS project involves learning both the scientific background and the experimental techniques used in the lab. Students joining the Ultrafast Terahertz Spectroscopy (UFTS) group are encouraged to build familiarity with ultrafast optics, femtosecond laser systems, terahertz spectroscopy, and the condensed matter systems studied in the group. The resources below provide a useful starting point for students who are considering joining the group or beginning research in ultrafast and terahertz spectroscopy.

1. Before joining the group: What is it like to do a PhD?

Students considering a PhD may find it useful to read broadly about what doctoral research involves, how research groups function, and what skills and expectations are important in the early stages of graduate research. The following resources provide useful perspectives on research, scientific training, and the process of doing a PhD:

• Before starting a PhD: 9 things you should consider before embarking on a PhD (Elsevier)
  https://www.elsevier.com/connect/9-things-you-should-consider-before-embarking-on-a-phd

• Prof. Peter Abbamonte: How Laws, Sausages, and Science are Made: An Inside View of How Science Really Works
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJaZs6UfnGw

2. Pre-lab reading

A useful starting point for students entering the group is to read introductory material on ultrafast spectroscopy and terahertz spectroscopy, along with review articles on quantum materials and low-dimensional systems. One particularly useful reference is:

• Rohit P. Prasankumar and A. J. Taylor (eds.), Optical Techniques for Solid-State Materials Characterization
  Suggested reading: Chapters 1–3, 7–10

3. Basics of lasers and ultrafast optics

Students who are new to ultrafast experiments should first become familiar with laser fundamentals, ultrashort pulse generation, and pulse characterization. Some useful books are:

• J. T. Verdeyen, Laser Electronics

• Anthony E. Siegman, Lasers (University Science Books, 1986)

• Amnon Yariv, Quantum Electronics, 3rd ed. (Wiley, 1989)

• T. Kamiya et al. (eds.), Femtosecond Technology: From Basic Research to Application Prospects (Springer Series in Photonics, Springer, 1999)

• Jean-Claude Diels and Wolfgang Rudolph, Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena

• Claude Rullière (ed.), Femtosecond Laser Pulses: Principles and Experiments

• Joachim Herrmann and Bernd Wilhelmi, Lasers for Ultrashort Light Pulses (North-Holland, 1987)

• Rick Trebino, Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating: The Measurement of Ultrashort Laser Pulses (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002)

• Another nice book on Fourier transforms and their applications by Ronald N. Bracewell 

• List of good books in Optics, Lasers, Quantum Optics, and others

4. Basics of THz spectroscopy

Students interested in terahertz generation, detection, and spectroscopy may find the following resources useful:

• Rohit P. Prasankumar and A. J. Taylor (eds.), Optical Techniques for Solid-State Materials Characterization

• Susan L. Dexheimer (ed.), Terahertz Spectroscopy: Principles and Applications

• Y. S. Lee, Principles of Terahertz Science and Technology

• Ingrid Wilke, book chapter / review on THz generation and detection methods (2010)

• Review article by Daniel M. Schmuttenmaer on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (2018)

5. Ultrafast spectroscopy, quantum materials, and related review articles

The following review articles provide useful background on ultrafast spectroscopy in condensed matter and quantum materials, especially in areas connected to the group’s current research interests:

• Ultrafast spectroscopy of quantum materials

• THz materials

• 2D materials towards ultrafast photonic applications

• Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy of Two-Dimensional Materials Beyond Graphene

• Carrier dynamics in semiconductors studied with time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

• Excellent review from Prof. Schmuttenmaer of Yale university on TDS THz Spectroscopy (2018)

• Good review on ultrafast laser technology and spectroscopy

• The birth of topological insulators

• Topological Insulators Turn a Corner

• 2021 Quantum materials Roadmap

Students joining the group may also find it useful to read review papers in areas closely related to the group’s current research interests, including layered and van der Waals materials, topological materials, strongly correlated quantum materials, ultrafast carrier and exciton dynamics, and terahertz spectroscopy of condensed matter systems. They are also encouraged to use these materials as a starting point and then move toward the research literature most relevant to their own project topic.