The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Pierre Agostini of Ohio State University, Ferenc Kraush of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Harching and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany, and Anne of Lund University in Sweden It was given to Luye. 24 Channels.

Why were scientists given awards?

Prestigious award recognizes researchers’ contributions development of experimental methods that produce attosecond light pulses To study the dynamics of electrons in matter.

The significance of their work is that they managed to create attosecond light pulses (light pulses that last only seconds). billionth of a billionth of a second (attosecond). These ultrashort pulses have paved the way for scientists to observe, analyze and understand the incredibly fast processes by which electrons move and exchange energy in atoms and molecules.

The award-winning trio successfully produced light pulses so succinctly that they can now be used to describe complex processes occurring inside atoms and molecules.

More about the opening

Discovery of harmonies

Ann Luye, whose discovery in 1987 revealed that multiple shades of light appear when passing infrared laser radiation through an inert gas, was instrumental in launching this journey.

Each overtone is a separate light wave characterized by a certain number of cycles in each cycle of laser radiation. These tones result from the interaction of laser light with gas atoms, imparting additional energy to certain electrons, which are then emitted as light. Luye’s revolutionary research laid the foundation for further success in this field.

Ultra short pulses of light

In 2001, Pierre Agostini achieved a major milestone by creating a series of light pulses, each lasting just one second. 250 attoseconds. At the same time, Ferenc Krausch pioneered another experiment that made it possible to isolate a single light pulse. 650 attoseconds.

These extraordinary achievements opened up the possibility of investigating phenomena that were previously thought to be immeasurable due to their incredible speed.

Why is this important?

Eva Olsson, Chair of the Nobel Physics Committee, emphasized the importance of these achievements and said:

Now we can open the door to the electron world. Attosecond physics allows us to understand the mechanisms that govern electrons. The next step is to use them.

The practical application of these discoveries has far-reaching prospects. In the field of electronics, understanding and controlling the behavior of electrons in materials is becoming increasingly important. Attosecond pulses have the potential to identify different molecules; This is an opportunity for applications in areas such as medical diagnostics.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes the tremendous contributions to the scientific community of Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausch and Anne Luier, who revolutionized the study of electronic dynamics with their pioneering work in attosecond pulse physics. Their achievements not only deepen our understanding of fundamental processes at the atomic and molecular levels, but also promise transformative applications in many fields.