Light field control means that electric and magnetic forces controlled on a sub-femtosecond time scale are now becoming available. These afford, for the first time, the technological capability of steering bound electrons on the atomic scale, implying – among others – the controlled, reproducible generation and measurement of isolated attosecond pulses. In combination with their few-cycle laser driver waves, they permit direct, time-domain look into the motion of electrons, both individual and collective, in atomic, molecular and solid-state assemblies, which could never before observed in real time. In spite of successful proof-of-principle experiments, attosecond technology and spectroscopy are, nevertheless, still in their infancy. This is mainly due to the moderate photon flux and limited spectral range (40-100eV) of attosecond sources. We therefore aim at advancing the state of the art of attosecond pulse generation by extending its spectral coverage toward both higher and lower photon energies as well as enhancing the peak and average power of attosecond sources. Simultaneously, we shall use the improved tools for real-time observation and control of atomic-scale electron dynamics in ever more complex systems of biological or technological relevance and pursue control of electric current in solid-state systems with light fields.

main areas of research and development currently include: