Theory of ultrashort laser-matter interactions

High-energy laser pulses of subpicosecond duration irradiating metals or dielectrics are primarily absorbed by electrons within the solid. We study microscopic processes determining absorption, redistribution of the energy and its transfer to the crystal lattice. In particular, we model nonequilibrium electron distributions and discuss differences of materials´ reaction due to the ultrashort timescales as compared to a near-equilibrium situation, which can usually be assumed on longer timescales.