Meng Han

Meng Han is an active Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Kansas State University, affiliated with the James R. Macdonald Laboratory (JRML). He leads an experimental research group focused on cutting-edge ultrafast laser technologies and their applications in attosecond science and remote sensing. His work bridges fundamental quantum dynamics with practical instrumentation development.

Education

• PhD in Optics, Peking University (2015-2020)
• Postdoctoral Research, ETH Zurich (2020-2023) as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow

His research centers on CEP-stabilized near-single-cycle laser systems, short isolated attosecond pulse generation, and laser-induced plasma phenomena for remote sensing applications. Current projects include air lasing, fluorescence diagnostics, and acoustic wave generation from plasmas, enabling breakthroughs in atmospheric monitoring and quantum control. His group actively develops novel laser technologies for water-window soft X-ray applications.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in attosecond metrology, chiral photoionization dynamics, and laser-plasma interactions. His work consistently appears in top-tier journals including Nature, Science Advances, and Physical Review Letters, demonstrating leadership in quantum electron dynamics and strong-field physics. Key innovations include CEP-dependent air sensing techniques and attosecond chronoscopy methods for measuring fundamental quantum processes.

Scientific Awards

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (FP-RESOMUS)

Professor Han mentors a dynamic research team including postdocs (Mahmudul Hasan, Jingsong Gao), graduate students (Zach Eisenhutt, Yiming Yuan), and undergraduate researchers (Caitlin Solis). His group has secured significant infrastructure including industrial Yb-based lasers and custom pulse compression systems. Recent grants support the development of water-window attosecond pulses and angle-resolved photoelectron streaking experiments.

The JRML group operates a state-of-the-art attosecond science facility featuring CEP-stabilized laser systems, vacuum chambers for molecular beam experiments, and advanced detection systems. Recent milestones include generating single isolated attosecond pulses (2025), measuring laser-waveform-dependent air fluorescence (2024), and direct acoustic detection of CEP in ambient air (2024). The lab continues to pioneer techniques for quantum control and remote atmospheric sensing.