Symmetry/Asymmetry in Extreme Nonlinear Optics

Dear Colleagues,

Light–matter interaction is the cornerstone of our world and life. It has the huge diversity depending on the time scale and spatial scale, and matter types. Despite the huge diversity, the symmetry/asymmetry is located at the central position in the light-matter interactions all the time. For example, the breaking of the central inversion symmetry gives rise to the second order harmonic generation, which is the hallmark of the birth of nonlinear optics. With the development of laser technology and material science, now the nonlinear optics has already entered the domain of extremely nonlinear optics, i.e., strong-field physics and attosecond science, where the intensity of the light field is comparable to the strong Coulomb field inside atoms and the pulse duration is close to the electron natural time scale. Strong laser fields will trigger many interesting non-perturbative phenomena, such as high-order harmonic generation, above-threshold ionization, non-sequential double ionization, etc. For the research systems, scientists have extended from gas-phase atomic and molecular systems to liquids and solids, where the local/nonlocal symmetry plays an even more important role in the light-induced dynamics. 

This Special Issue is aimed to explore the symmetry/asymmetry in extreme nonlinear optics and the underlying mechanism. The work may include (but is not limited to) the strong-field light-matter interactions and attosecond science, particularly for the studies of symmetry and asymmetry in the time-resolved spectroscopies, including photoelectron and photoion coincidence spectroscopy, HHG self-probing spectroscopy, field-resolved detection and transient absorption spectroscopy.

Please note that all submissions should be full in the scope of Symmetry.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Meng Han
Guest Editor

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