# High-harmonic generation during ultrafast melting of a Mott insulating state

Source: [nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-026-02031-w) · 2026-11-13 · Physics
Page: https://themorning.science/story/high-harmonic-generation-during-ultrafast-melting-of-a-mott-insulating-state-cd8e7bb785ac375b
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A Nature Photonics paper reports high-harmonic generation measurements during the ultrafast melting of a Mott insulating state.
- High-harmonic spectroscopy under an intense mid-infrared field shows redshifts of high-harmonic peaks during the melting process.
- The source states that dynamical mean-field theory is also part of the study, though its details are not given in the excerpt.

## Why it matters

The work uses high-harmonic spectroscopy to track a phase transition in a correlated electron material on ultrafast timescales, offering a probe of how Mott insulators lose their insulating state.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-13: Published online in Nature Photonics

## Coverage

- [High-harmonic generation during ultrafast melting of a Mott insulating state](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-026-02031-w) — nature.com, 2026-11-13

Tags: high-harmonic generation, mott insulator, ultrafast spectroscopy, strongly correlated materials, nonlinear optics

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science