Scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L'Huillier were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing ultra-short light pulses that can provide a snapshot of atomic changes and possibly enhance disease detection.

The winning academy stated that their research has provided new methods for studying the motion of electrons within atoms and molecules, a previously untraceable phenomenon.

An electron can transform within a few tenths of an attosecond, a time interval so brief that there are as many attoseconds in a second as there have been seconds since the creation of the universe.

The ability to generate attosecond pulses of light, according to Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel Prize in Physics Selection Committee, "has opened the door to the world of electrons."

The discoveries have potential utility in a vast array of fields. Understanding and controlling the behavior of electrons in a substance is essential in electronics.

According to the academy, the field also shows promise in areas like a novel in-vitro diagnostic method to discover the distinctive molecular signs of illnesses in blood samples.

Krausz, a Hungarian-born scientist, has compared attosecond physics to a fast-shutter camera, where the brief light bursts enable a freeze-frame view of the microcosm. In the early 2000s, his team produced the first ultra-fast pulses.

Using a quick camera, you might endeavor to capture a Formula 1 race car as it crosses the finish line. At the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, where he serves as director, he explained to Reuters that a camera is required to capture precise images and recreate the motion. This is the identical concept used to describe the movement of electrons, which is the fastest natural movement outside the atomic nucleus.

L'Huillier stated, "It's a fantastic medal, and I'm delighted to possess it. I learned that I had won it during a lecture. It's incredible. Following the announcement, she continued the lecture, which she subsequently described as "a little challenging."

L'Huillier, who was born in France and is the fifth woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, is a professor at Lund University in Sweden, while Agostini, who was also born in France, is an emeritus professor at Ohio State University in the United States.

President Emmanuel Macron of France praised the two French champions on social media, writing, "What pride for our nation!"

Inside of an atom

In research conducted beginning in the 1980s, L'Huillier discovered a novel phenomenon resulting from the interaction of laser light with gaseous atoms. Then, Agostini and Krausz demonstrated how this could be utilized to generate shorter-than-previously attainable light pulses.

Agostini and his team in France were successful in producing and researching a train-like series of consecutive light pulses, whereas Krausz and his colleagues in Austria were developing a method to select a single pulse.

All of these studies demonstrated that attosecond pulses are observable, measurable, and applicable to new research.

Krausz claimed he was endeavoring to process the reality of receiving the honor.

He stated, "I didn't anticipate it." "I am feeling overpowered."

Since Agostini was in Paris, the academy was unable to promptly contact him with the news.

During an interview in his Paris apartment, he stated, "My daughter contacted me and asked, 'Is it true that you won the Nobel Prize?'" Obviously I replied, "This cannot be true."

American colleague Drew Weissman and Hungarian researcher Katalin Kariko were awarded the medicine prize for their work on the mRNA molecule, which paved the way for COVID-19 vaccinations. The second prize to be awarded this week is for physics.

Alfred Nobel, an inventor and industrialist, instituted the Nobel Prizes in his will, and they have been awarded without interruption since 1901. They are now considered the most prestigious award for scholars worldwide.

With winners such as Albert Einstein and prizes for science that have fundamentally altered our view of the universe, the physics prize has frequently shared the spotlight with the Peace Prize.

After the physics award is announced, the chemistry, literature, peace, and economics awards will be announced. The final member was subsequently added to the initial lineup. Beginning in October, they will all be made public on consecutive weekdays.