The response of solids to electromagnetic fields is of crucial importance in many areas of science and technology. Many fundamental questions remain to be answered about the dynamics of the photoexcited electrons that underpin this response, which can evolve on timescales of tens to hundreds of attoseconds. How, for example, is the photoexcited electron affected by the periodic potential as it travels in the solid, and how do the other electrons respond in these strongly correlated systems? Furthermore, control of electronic motion in solids with attosecond precision would pave the way for the development of ultrafast optoelectronics. Attosecond electron dynamics can be traced using streaking, a technique where a strong near-infrared laser field accelerates an attosecond electron wavepacket photoemitted by an extreme ultraviolet light pulse, imprinting timing information onto it. We present attosecond streaking measurements on the wide-bandgap semiconductor tungsten trioxide, and on gold, a metal used in many nanoplasmonic devices. Information about electronic motion in the solid is encoded on the temporal properties of the photoemitted electron wavepackets, which are consistent with a spread of electron transport times to the surface following photoexcitation.

We propose an experimental arrangement to image, with attosecond resolution, transient surface plasmonic excitations. The required modifications to state-of-the-art setups used for attosecond streaking experiments from solid surfaces only involve available technology. Buildup and lifetimes of surface plasmon polaritons can be extracted and local modulations of the exciting optical pulse can be diagnosed in situ.

Fresnel zone plates are used for imaging at extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray wavelengths. Fabricating these zone plates is challenging due to small structure sizes (<150  nm) and complex nanostructuring processes. Fabrication techniques such as electron-beam lithography followed by etching and electroplating processes have been developed over the years. We are reporting on the development of a technique incorporating focused gallium ion-beam lithography to fabricate Fresnel zone plates with 120 nm outermost structure size in a process that combines pattern exposure and structure transfer in one single step. The fabricated zone plates were successfully applied in a microscopic setup at λ=13  nm wavelength.

The Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP) provides and coordinates an integrated program for the photonics education of graduate and doctoral students in a network of excellence of German universities and research institutions. Students can choose to start the program with a qualification phase to obtain a photonics Master's degree from one of three teaching universities in Erlangen, Jena or Karlsruhe. The subsequent PhD-phase lasts three years and the research work is conducted under the supervision of one out of 45 Fellows of the MPSP. Students already holding a qualifying Master's degree can apply to directly enter the PhD-phase of the program. Apart from an excellent network of renowned scientists and research institutions, the MPSP offers generous financial support and a supporting curriculum to foster interactions between the different photonics disciplines, to strengthen the research network and to advance personal and professional skills. Maintaining and supporting active interactions of the MPSP research network at all levels is challenging and will be backed up by employing digital learning tools and platforms. Here, we will present our recent findings on chances and opportunities provided by the MPSP's educative approach.