Nobel Prize: Science Made Easy

Written By Amina Askhat

Written By - ISHA GOSHRANI

Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach

The astonishing experiments of the new electron-examining tools inside of atoms and molecules were celebrated by the 2023 Physics Nobel Prize laureates, indicating a substantial step forward in the simplification of complex scientific procedures.  It pioneers the development of a brief light pulse that may be used to monitor how an electron changes its energy, which simplifies research. This honor is a monument to the revolutionary force of simplification and the amazing ability of technology to remove obstacles and, in doing so, allowing society to fully utilize scientific breakthroughs especially in the Physics sector.

It was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier on Tuesday for techniques that illuminate the subatomic realm of electrons, providing a new perspective into a previously unexplored domain.

  • Pierre Agostini, PhD 1968 from Aix-Marseille University, France. Professor at The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.

  • Ferenc Krausz, born 1962 in Mór, Hungary. PhD 1991 from Vienna University of Technology, Austria. Director at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Garching and Professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.

  • Anne L’Huillier, born 1958 in Paris, France. PhD 1986 from University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France. Professor at Lund University, Sweden.


According to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prizes, to study the movement of electrons, the scientists had to use pulses of light that last only on the scale of attoseconds; an attosecond is one quintillionth of a second (equal to 1×10−18 of a second). The number of attoseconds in a single second is the same as the number of all the seconds that have elapsed since the universe burst into existence 13.8 billion years ago. 

© Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

With the use of attosecond pulses, it is possible to time how long it takes an electron to be pulled away from an atom and analyze how this time is influenced by how strongly the electron is attached to the atom's nucleus. Previously, the electron’s location could only be determined as an average. Now, it is possible to recreate how the distribution of electrons oscillates from side to side or place to place in molecules and materials. Molecular, liquid, and solid-state studies of light-matter interaction in the attosecond time domain have recently opened up new vistas. This subatomic "strobe light" allows researchers to capture a moment in time inside an atom. Instead of creating visual images, the effect will expose information about the relative positions of electrons within molecules or surrounding atoms, as well as how long it takes for an electron to separate from its bonded nucleus. 

Attosecond pulses can be used to examine the workings of matter and to identify specific events. Scientists will be able to time when electrons are emitted from a substance when light strikes it through the use of attosecond physics. Aside from this research have been used to investigate the intricate physics of atoms and molecules, these pulses have potential uses in fields ranging from electronics to medicine. The possible application is to study molecular-level changes in blood to identify diseases and create more efficient electronic gadgets. The findings may also lead to advances in circuitry, drug design, noninvasive diagnostic tools in medicine, and materials used for batteries. 

Krausz stated during a press conference that "Electrons are, even if we can't see them, omnipresent in our life—our biological life and also our technical life, in our everyday life, —. In our biological life, electrons form the adhesive between atoms, with which they form molecules and these molecules are then the smallest functional building stones of every living organism." Krausz added that knowing how they move will help us comprehend how they operate. These "stroboscopic images of electrons, like of dancers in a club" have "sparked the creativity" of researchers all over the world, according to Jan-Michael Rost. The discovery throws insight on physical systems that operate at short time scales. Scientists now have "a new tool to tame the microscopic world," according to Ignacio Cirac, a theoretical physicist at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. 

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics serves as a reminder of the value of human inventiveness and the never-ending quest for knowledge. The discoveries made by the laureates in the field of quantum metamaterials provide a look into a future in which technological advancements continue to push the envelope, ultimately altering how we interact with one another and our environment. Their never-ending work serves as a reminder that there are no boundaries to scientific inquiry and that the greatest discoveries are frequently the outcome of audacious theories and unwavering commitment to solving the universe's secrets.

The invention of the Nobel laureates has the potential to transform the field of scientific study and make it more approachable for researchers from many disciplines. Researchers now have the opportunity to easily comprehend mechanisms that are controlled by electrons thanks to this cutting-edge technology. This accessibility to understanding the complexity of electrons in an era where electronics are widely used would surely hasten scientific advancement and enable discoveries in previously unfathomable fields.

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Amina Askhat
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