UC San Diego

Ultrafast and time-resolved THz techniques have emerged as an important tool not only for measuring the equilibrium properties of quantum materials, but also for exhibiting control over their phases and degrees of freedom. This thesis focuses on the use of THz light to drive nonlinearities, probe strong coupling, and probe photoinduced phase transitions in layered transition metal oxides. After a brief introduction to the thesis in chapter 1, the physics behind the materials discussed in this thesis will be described in chapter two. Then an introduction to the experimental techniques used in this thesis will be given in chapter three. Chapter four consists of a project measuring the THz nonlinearities in a superconducting cuprate. Strong coupling in the THz range on the same superconducting cuprate is the subject of chapter five. Finally, experiments concerning the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transitions are discussed in chapter 6. This will be followed by a conclusion, summarizing the work of this thesis.