Nonlinear Optical Response and Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in 2D Materials

We discuss ultrafast carrier dynamics in 2D materials including metallic films, insulators, and transition metal dichalcogenides. The interplay between elastic and inelastic transitions involving electron-hole pairs, phonons, and excitons configure a wide variety of nonlinear optical responses that permeate harmonic generation and wave mixing. In this presentation, we will explore new aspects of this phenomenology including the nonlinear optical response of ultrathin metal films and the prospects for realizing nonlinear response at the few photon-level assisted by polaritonic field enhancement in these structures.