We’re excited to share our latest results on THz-STM of 1T-TaS₂ now available as preprint on arxiv. In this study, we not only map the ultrafast photoinduced response of the charge density wave and local charge order at the atomic scale, but also uncover a previously unobserved metastable state triggered by THz near-fields. This state appears locally near a defect and persists on millisecond timescales, extending well beyond the ultrafast regime. Our results highlight the dual role of THz fields in driving ultrafast tunneling while simultaneously inducing a metastable state that is potentially driven by subtle structural interlayer changes. This opens new avenues for exploring how local heterogeneity and defects influence the emergence of global metastable phases, and how non-equilibrium dynamics can be both probed and controlled at the nanoscale. You can read the full preprint here: arXiv:2505.20541