The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their research on attoseconds, which could lead to breakthroughs in electronics and chemistry.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that scientists Pierre Agostini (55), Ferenc Krausz (61), and Anne L’Huillier (65) are the recipients of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for their experimental methods that generate attosecond light pulses to study electron dynamics in matter, at 4:45 PM on October 3 (Hanoi time).
Three scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier receiving the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. (Photo: CNN)
Their work with lasers provides scientists with tools to observe and even manipulate electrons. This could drive breakthroughs in many fields such as electronics and chemistry.
| Attosecond is one quintillionth (10-18) of a second. To put this into perspective, the number of attoseconds in one second is equivalent to the number of seconds in the entire 13.8 billion-year history of the universe. According to Hans Jakob Woerner, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), an attosecond is the shortest duration that can be directly measured by humans. |
The ability to operate within this timeframe is crucial because this is the speed at which electrons—the essential components of atoms—function. For instance, electrons take about 150 attoseconds to orbit the nucleus of a hydrogen atom.
This means that studying attoseconds allows scientists to access a fundamental process that was previously out of reach. Every electronic device is influenced by the movement of electrons, and the current speed limit is in the nanosecond range, according to Woerner. If processors can be transitioned to attoseconds, information processing could potentially be over a billion times faster.
An atom consists of a nucleus made up of protons and neutrons, with electrons orbiting around it. (Photo: Rost-9D/Getty)
Swedish physicist of French descent Anne L’Huillier was the first to discover a tool that opens up the attosecond world. This tool uses high-powered lasers to create light pulses in extremely short time intervals.
Franck Lepine, a researcher at the French Institute of Light and Matter, who worked alongside L’Huillier, described the tool as akin to a film created for electrons. He compared it to the work of two pioneering French filmmakers—the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis—who staged scenes by capturing successive photographs. According to John Tisch, a laser physics professor at the Royal College of London, it is similar to a device with extremely fast light pulses that can be projected onto materials to gather information about their reactions during that timeframe.
All three prize winners have previously held the world record for the shortest light pulse. In 2001, Pierre Agostini’s research group generated a light pulse lasting only 250 attoseconds. L’Huillier’s group surpassed this record with a pulse of 170 attoseconds in 2003. In 2008, Hungarian-born Austrian physicist Ferenc Krausz cut that number down to 80 attoseconds.
The current Guinness World Record for the shortest light pulse is held by Woerner’s research group, with a duration of 43 attoseconds. Woerner estimates that this time could continue to decrease to just a few attoseconds with current technology.
Experts say that technology utilizing attoseconds has yet to become mainstream, but the future looks promising. So far, scientists have only been able to use attoseconds to observe electrons. The ability to control electrons and manipulate their movements is fundamentally still in its infancy, or has only just begun to become feasible, according to Woerner. This could lead to much faster electronic devices and spark a revolution in chemistry.
“We will not be limited to what molecules do naturally, but instead we can adjust them to our needs,” Woerner said. He added that “attochemistry” could lead to more efficient solar cells or even use light energy to produce clean fuel.
