Aarhus Universitets segl

Ultrafast Dynamics of Quantum Materials

Welcome

We are a research group at Aarhus University that exploits ultra-short pulses of laser light from across the entire electromagnetic spectrum to explore and control the properties of materials.

Our focus is on understanding the properties of "quantum materials", materials that show interesting and unexpected phenomena at unusually high temperatures, such as high temperature superconductivity. By using photons that range in energy from 5 meV to 15 keV we can study atomic, spin and electron dynamics on nanometer lengthscales and femtosecond timescales.

Our work exploits laboratory sources of laser light, as well as the use of X-ray lasers around the world. 

Interested in joining? 

Are you interested in joining our group as a Postdoc or PhD student, or for a masters or bachelor's project? If so, contact us now to discuss the possibilities. We currently have an open position for a Postdoc to study atomic and nanoscopic processes in quantum materials on ultrafast timescales with XFELs.

New arXiv pre-print

We have submitted a new pre-print examining the origins of the ultrafast phase transition in VO2 from a thermodynamic perspective on the arXiv.

03/2026

New group members

We have several new group members.

Noah Tettenborn starts as a PhD student to study the non-linear optical properties of quantum materials

Brayan Elian Castilblanco Ortigoza starts a masters project on “Symmetry analysis of the light induced changes in the linear and nonlinear response of Tellurium”. 

and Asbjørn Bloch Rosenvinge, Louise de Neergaard Ravn, Aksel Lind Vejbæk start bachelors projects on coherent phonons in quantum materials. 

02/2026

New Publication

Our latest work from SwissFEL on the role of surface heterogeneity on the melting of orbital ordering has been published in Nature Materials.

10/2025

New pre-print

Our latest work on coherent phonons in the layered manganite Pr0.5Ca1.5MnO4 has just been submitted to the arXiv. All the data for this work is open access on a zenodo repository

08/2025

Masters Students Graduate

Thomas, Signe and Emil all successfully defend their masters thesis in the group. 

Congratulations to all and a special thanks for thesis examiner Robert Feidenhans'l 

06/2025

Emmanuel Graduates

Emmanuel successfully defends his PhD thesis at ICFO in Barcelona. Congratulations Emmanuel!

06/2025

New Pre-Print

A pre-print describing our linear and non-linear optical setup paper is now available on the arXiv

05/2025

New Group Member

Xiang Li joins our group as a visiting PhD student from Shanghai Tech University

03/2025