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Itatani Lab
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The lab uses intense, extremely short laser pulses to follow the motion of electrons on the attosecond timescale.
AboutAbout the lab
Seeing electron motion with attosecond light
The Itatani Lab studies attosecond photon science using high-intensity ultrashort-pulse lasers, and its applications to materials science.
An attosecond (one quintillionth of a second) is the timescale on which electrons move inside atoms, molecules, and solids.
The lab works on the whole chain, from developing the laser sources themselves, to generating short-wavelength light, to ultrafast spectroscopy experiments on gases, solids, and liquids.
Key terms
- Attosecond
- One quintillionth of a second (10⁻¹⁸ s). The timescale on which electrons move inside an atom.
- High-order harmonics
- Short-wavelength light that is emitted at many times the frequency of the original light when intense laser light strikes a material.
- Optical parametric amplification
- A method that uses the energy of intense light inside a nonlinear crystal to amplify light of a different wavelength.
- Soft X-rays
- X-rays with relatively low energy. They are used to probe the electronic states of individual elements.
ResearchResearch themes
An attosecond is the timescale on which electrons move inside atoms, molecules, and solids, and research that directly observes and controls this extreme time domain has developed rapidly in recent years. The lab works experimentally on the whole chain, from developing high-intensity laser sources to generating short-wavelength light and performing ultrafast spectroscopy of gases, solids, and liquids.
*Illustrative imageUltrashort-Pulse Lasers and Attosecond Light
Using a method called optical parametric amplification, the lab builds intense, phase-controlled ultrashort-pulse light sources in the infrared, and has succeeded in generating attosecond pulses in the soft X-ray region. Recently, it has also been developing light sources based on Yb solid-state lasers, a next-generation type of high-power laser.
*Illustrative imageAtoms and Molecules in Intense Laser Fields
Attosecond light pulses make it possible to observe, in real time, the motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules. Recently, the lab systematically studied the process in which an electron released by tunnel ionization collides again with its parent ion, and clarified how high-energy electrons are generated.
*Illustrative imageSolids and Liquids in Intense Laser Fields
Using a longer laser wavelength makes it possible to apply a strong optical electric field to a solid without destroying it. With a liquid jet, the sample is continuously replaced, so experiments with even stronger optical fields are possible. The lab has carried out high-order harmonic generation experiments in solids and liquids and has discovered a variety of phenomena.
*Illustrative imageAttosecond Soft X-ray Spectroscopy
Using high-order harmonics as an attosecond soft X-ray light source, the lab is advancing ultrafast soft X-ray spectroscopy that can probe specific elements selectively. Working with groups both inside and outside the Institute for Solid State Physics, it develops the light source, spectrometer, and sample environment as one integrated system, aiming to open up new areas of materials research.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Itatani Lab consist of faculty, senior technical specialists, doctoral students, research trainees, and administrative assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorJiro ItataniPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorElizaveta Pyatenko
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “ODIN Ti-Sapphire laser in operation” FDominec / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers and Attosecond Light: “The inner optical setup of a femtosecond Titanium-Sapphire Pulsed laser” Aksy88 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Atoms and Molecules in Intense Laser Fields: “Femtosecond laser spark” Smirnov Semen / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Solids and Liquids in Intense Laser Fields: “Ti Sapph YAG supercontinnum” Neath g / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Attosecond Soft X-ray Spectroscopy: “U.S. Department of Energy - Science - )” U.S. Department of Energy from United States / Public domain (cropped)
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