apl. Prof. Dr. Ayhan Demircan

His work is concerned with theoretical and computer-aided investigations of light-matter interaction processes in complex optical and photonic systems, wich are inherently of multi-scale and multi-physics nature. The investigations include the theoretical analysis and modelling of the fundamental effects, the development of suitable numerical methods and their application. A wide range of methods, from spectral or statistical methods to finite-difference time-domain methods, are used.

His field of research includes modern nonlinear optics and quantum optics, laser physics, photonics in condensed matter and micro- and nanophotonics, but also fluid dynamics and related fields. For example, he has modelled and developed numerical tools for the investigation of the evolution of optical fields in nonlinear dense or gaseous media for conservative systems as in waveguides (see Fig.1) with extension to, e.g., coupled systems, time delay equations, or for dissipative systems such as in ring resonators.

Other fields of investigations are full (3+1D)-models for filament propagation of strong fields including ionisation effect or laser material processing requiring the coupling of the Maxwells’ equations to the Navier-Stokes equation. One focus is on manipulation and control of light pulses, both in the field of ultrafast optics and strong-field phenomena, as well as in the generation and control of single photons. Here, a platform on basis of temporal interfaces is developed, which allows for realising strong and efficient all-optical forces due to incoherent nonlinear interaction (see Fig.2).