Caterina Vozzi

She joined the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie in 2009, where she became a Senior Researcher in 2010 and Research Director in 2019.^[1] She develops time-resolved spectocopy techniques (XUV, X-ray and Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy) to understand ultrafast dynamics in molecules and materials.^[1] Based on table-top harmonic generation, she has created new sources for ultrashort (attosecond) pulses for transient absorption spectroscopy that are in the soft X-ray range.^[2] She uses table-top high harmonic generation. Measurements with these pulses give temporal and spatial information about dynamic processes, and are sensitive to specific oxidation/spin states or elements. X-ray measurements near specific absorption edges (e.g. the Carbon K-edge) provides information of the structural and electronic environment of atoms within the sample.^[3] Between 2005 and 2017, Vozzi was a contract Professor of Physics at Politecnico di Milano.

Single-cycle coherent terahertz pulses can be generated using nonlinear crystals and infrared laser pulses. THz pulses are detected (amplitude, phase) using electro-optic systems and the Pockels effect.^[4] These measurements provide information about the dielectric response (real and imaginary), uncovering physical and chemical information.^[2]

Vozzi has used optical parametric amplification to create high energy mid-IR light sources for attosecond science.^[2] These provide mJ energy, pulse durations equivalent to a few optical cycles and carrier–envelope phase stability, making them ideal for high harmonic generation.^[5] She has exploited high harmonic generation to create bright XUV sources. She showed that high harmonic generation tomography and laser-induced electron diffraction to perform time-resolved dynamic imaging of complex molecular materials. Single attosecond pulses in the few hundred eV spectral region) can be generated by manipulating the laser polarisation.^[6]

• G. Sansone; E. Benedetti; F. Calegari; et al. (1 October 2006). "Isolated single-cycle attosecond pulses". Science. 314 (5798): 443–446. Bibcode:2006Sci...314..443S. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1132838. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17053142. Wikidata Q62522074.
• I. J. Sola; E. Mével; L. Elouga; et al. (23 April 2006). "Controlling attosecond electron dynamics by phase-stabilized polarization gating". Nature Physics. 2 (5): 319–322. Bibcode:2006NatPh...2..319S. doi:10.1038/NPHYS281. ISSN 1745-2473. Wikidata Q62522062.
• C. Vozzi; M. Negro; F. Calegari; G. Sansone; M. Nisoli; S. De Silvestri; S. Stagira (26 June 2011). "Generalized molecular orbital tomography". Nature Physics. 7 (10): 822–826. Bibcode:2011NatPh...7..822V. doi:10.1038/NPHYS2029. ISSN 1745-2473. Wikidata Q62521967.