Excitons make quantum leap in just 2.5 femtoseconds.

Light irradiation in two-dimensional materials is well-known to excite tightly-bound many-body excitonic states that dominate optical responses. Recent theory analysis under intense laser conditions identifies the mechanisms and timescales through which excitons form, evolve, and dissociate. These findings open new opportunities for sensing and optically controlling many-body physics on ultrafast timescales.