Femtosecond laser pulse sequences offer a way to explore the ultrafast dynamics of charge density waves. Designing specific pulse sequences may allow us to guide the system's trajectory through the potential energy surface and achieve precise control over processes at surfaces.
Oxides find broad applications as catalysts or in electronic components, however are generally brittle materials where dislocations are difficult to activate in the covalent rigid lattice. Here, the link between plasticity and fracture is critical for wide-scale application of functional oxide materials.