NOBEL
PRIZE IN PHYSICS - SCI &TECH
News:
2023 Nobel Prize in
physics: Seeing electrons in brief flashes of light | Explained
What's
in the news?
●
The 2023 Nobel Prize for Physics has been
awarded to three distinguished scientists: Pierre
Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier.
Key
takeaways:
●
Their groundbreaking work in the field of
experimental physics has led to the development
of attosecond pulses, enabling scientists to directly observe and study the
rapid dynamics of electrons within matter.
Achievements:
●
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".
●
This year Nobel Laureates in Physics 2023
are being recognised for their experiments, which have given humanity new tools
for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules.
●
Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne
L'Huillier have demonstrated a way to create
extremely short pulses of light that can be used to measure the rapid processes
in which electrons move or change energy.
○
Fast-moving events flow into each other
when perceived by humans, just like a film that consists of still images is
perceived as continual movement.
Attosecond
Physics:
●
Attosecond physics involves the study of
processes occurring at timescales on the order of attoseconds, which are
billionths of a billionth of a second
(10^-18 seconds).
●
In comparison, femtoseconds (10^-15
seconds) were previously considered the limit for observing ultrafast events at atomic and subatomic scales.
Significance
of Attosecond Physics:
●
Attosecond physics has opened up new
possibilities for understanding the dynamics
of electrons, offering insights into fundamental atomic and molecular
processes.
●
This knowledge has far-reaching
applications, including potential healthcare, such advancements in as studying
molecular changes in blood to identify diseases and improving electronic
devices through a deeper understanding of electron movement and energy transmission.