Dr. Denis Golež, colleague our Department, together with colleagues from Japan, Germany, and Switzerland, has published a review in the Review of Modern Physics of current knowledge on how laser pulses can be used to transform quantum states in materials with extremely strong electronic interactions.

Mott insulators have long been the focus of scientific curiosity due to their surprising properties, ranging from quantum magnetism to high-temperature superconductivity. The latest review focuses on recent theoretical advances, identifies relevant basic concepts and links them to experimental observations, revealing how Mott insulators can be pushed out of equilibrium with strong electric fields and ultrafast light to create non-thermal ordered quantum states or simply to promote rapid thermalization (see figure). The article summarizes key experiments, theoretical tools, and pathways leading to metastable quantum orders—from electronic to spin and orbital. It offers a glimpse into a world where intense light on ultrashort timescales opens the door to entirely new phases of matter.