Light harvesting devices need to combine strong absorption in the visible spectral range with efficient ultrafast charge separation. Artemis can directly measure change in electron populations, to obtain information on the charge separation and recombination times. 

The recombination pathways of charge carriers are also important to photocatalysis because they determine the lifetime of chemically active sites and hence the catalytic efficiency.

New emergent phenomena often arise from the competition or cooperation of electronic phases in quantum materials. Understanding them can guide the design of novel material functionalities, such as unusual electronic properties. 

2D materials have the potential to result in devices that are smaller, run faster, and consume less power, as well as offering a wealth of other potentials such as foldable, flexible, transparent electronics. 

 In 2013, the first direct measurements of ultrafast electronic dynamics in graphene – recognised as the world’s first 2D material – were made using Artemis.

The resulting papers now have over 1,000 citations between them.

The high degree of control over the electronic properties and strong light-matter interactions in semiconducting TMDCs make them promising candidates for novel applications in photonics, optoelectronics and spintronics. For example, we can use laser pulses to switch the material from an insulating state to a metal state, on a sub-ps timescale, and directly measure the change in electronic band structure while this happens.