Stockholm
Scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.
In a post shared on X, the award-giving body stated, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2023 NobelPrize in Physics to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.
The three physics laureates – Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier have created flashes of light that are short enough to take snapshots of electrons’ extremely rapid movements.
L’Huillier discovered a new effect from laser light’s interaction with atoms in a gas. Agostini and Krausz showed that this effect can be used for creating shorter pulses of light than were previously possible.
A post shared on the official Twitter feed of the Nobel Prize stated, Electrons’ movements in atoms and molecules are so rapid that they are measured in attoseconds. An attosecond is to one second as one second is to the age of the universe.
It further stated, Now that the attosecond world has become accessible, these short bursts of light can be used to study the movements of electrons. It is now possible to produce pulses down to just a few dozen attoseconds, and this technology is developing all the time.
These pulses have been used to explore the detailed physics of atoms and molecules, and they have potential applications in areas from electronics to medicine. These can also be used to identify different molecules, like in medical diagnostics.
