Francesca CalegariTracing Electron Dynamics in Molecules: Progress Toward Attosecond Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Physics awarded in 2023 underscored the importance of attosecond light sources, which now grant us access into the electron time scale within matter. This advancement has paved the way for the emergence of attochemistry, a novel field aiming at manipulating chemical reactivity by steering the electron dynamics in molecules.

In this presentation, I will first give an overview of our latest achievements in producing remarkably short light pulses across both ultraviolet (UV) and soft X-ray spectral ranges. Additionally, I will highlight a variety of applications for these ultrashort light transients, such as the real-time observation of ultrafast charge migration and dissociative dynamics in photoexcited molecules. A key focus will be on our novel approach to instigating well-controlled charge migration in chiral neutral molecules, which represents a significant step toward achieving charge-directed reactivity—the ultimate objective of attochemistry.