<i>Colloquium:</i> Nonthermal pathways to ultrafast control in quantum materials

Abstract

Ultrafast laser pulses can be used to drive materials into nonequilibrium states that have unusual properties and are promising for technological applications. Different classes of phenomena are observed during and after the optical illumination. This Colloquium discusses the recent developments in this field, and the prospects for using these techniques to create materials with novel functionalities in a controlled way.