Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria
University College London, UKFor outstanding and sustained contributions to the theory of laser-matter interaction, and for extraordinary and innovative outreach efforts.
Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria specializes in theoretical strong-field laser-matter interaction. She is mathematically inclined and was drawn to this field because there was a wealth of opportunities for theory. The traditional methods break down when dealing with extreme conditions, like very strong fields and very short time scales. As a result, theorists like Carla use math and creativity to explore possible solutions. She says, “It is fun because it is messy and allows you to develop your creativity…If what people typically use to describe an interaction of light and matter doesn’t work, you have to come up with something else.” As the field has evolved and developed a more robust understanding of the basics, a world of potential applications is opening.
She has worked in a range of specific areas, from her PhD in high-order harmonics with some work in stabilization and short-pulse propagation, to now, where she focuses more on photoelectron holography, quantum aspects of strong-field double ionization and attoscience in phase space. An essential consideration for Carla at all times has been when to incorporate the computer, striving to keep the focus on the math. By developing an elegant mathematical model first, Carla’s group aims to consider all aspects of physics surrounding the problem at hand. Inevitably, when their work is translated into a computer model, some of the physics has to be set aside or thrown out, but that’s not always clear from the start. Carla believes that there are several ways of doing physics, but for her work, she tries to “use math as a tool and develop models that may not tell the whole story, but the story that they tell is as rigorous as possible.”
Carla was interested in math early on, making this career an easy choice. Math wasn’t her only interest, though; she started advanced studies in both physics and opera in her birthplace, Belém, in the Amazon region. She studied both areas with intensity but quickly found that the demanding workloads of both degrees were too much. Carla reflects that the decision, ultimately, was easy to make: “What interested me is that in science, you have an answer that is more clear-cut, either right or wrong. Once you go deeper, you find that the boundaries are fuzzier, but the parameters looked more objective at the time.” She would go on to pursue physics first in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and then in Berlin, Germany, in the early 1990s. This was an exciting time scientifically and historically: Carla witnessed the first steps toward reunifying East and West Berlin while the first intense lasers arrived in her field. Still today, she strives to be well-rounded and continually explores her interests outside of science, like music, travel, and history.
Throughout her career, Carla has had many unofficial mentors who have played important roles in her development. However, she doesn’t consider herself someone who follows advice. Instead, she takes any advice and considers it within her own context. This mindset ensures she takes care of herself while being open to advice from unexpected places. She shares, “I think even your enemies can be good mentors because they force you to find other ways to see things that maybe you wouldn’t have seen on your own…the important thing is not that you agree or disagree. What works for me is not going to work for someone else, and vice versa.” Expanding on this idea, Carla organizes “Quantum Battles in Attoscience,” workshops that convene groups with vastly different viewpoints to try to find a common ground or expand each other’s ideas. These have led to ongoing discussions and publications that benefit everyone.
This kind of outreach work is crucial to Carla. In addition to the quantum battles, she also organizes biweekly seminars, “Atto Fridays,” on YouTube, which are free to the public, and she brings in Nobel Prize Laureates to speak at her university. Carla emphasizes the idea that scientists cannot remain in their “ivory tower,” and instead should try to reach communities outside their own. This can be a daunting challenge, and results can be difficult to assess. She has learned that the balance between effectiveness and self-care is key. At one time, Carla found that she was stretching herself too far, and decided to pull back from outreach activities that didn’t feel aligned with her goals. Carla prefers activities with more measurable outcomes, like the workshops she does online which reach a much larger community. As she continues to find more balance in her outreach work, she calls on organizations like Optica to continue and expand these activities, with care to include communities outside the traditional scope.
Photo courtesy of Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria
Profile written by Samantha Hornback
