Stockholm — Three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for their groundbreaking research on the movement of electrons around atoms in fractions of seconds. This field of study has the potential to revolutionize electronics and disease diagnoses. The recipients of the award are Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier, who hail from Austria, Hungary, and France respectively. Their work on understanding the behavior of electrons has immense implications in various domains, including chemistry, physics, healthcare, and technology.
Electrons move at an astonishing speed that has made it challenging for scientists to study them in isolation. However, by examining the shortest possible time frame, known as an attosecond, researchers now have a limited but remarkable understanding of electron behavior. This breakthrough opens up new avenues for scientific exploration and discovery.
“Electrons play a crucial role in every aspect of our lives. They are incredibly fast and serve as the driving force behind numerous phenomena,” said Mats Larsson, a member of the Nobel Committee. “Gaining control and insight into electron behavior is a significant step forward.”
L’Huillier is the fifth woman to receive a Nobel Prize in physics.
To understand the movement of electrons, the scientists had to examine an incredibly short time period – one quintillionth of a second, also known as an attosecond. This is similar to how a photographer captures a hummingbird in motion using a high-speed shutter.
Just how small is an attosecond? Eva Olsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee, explained, “Let’s imagine one second represents the time it takes for a heartbeat. To comprehend the duration of an attosecond, that second would need to be divided into 1,000 parts, six times over.”
Physicist Mark Pearce, a member of the Nobel Committee, further emphasized the minuscule nature of an attosecond. He stated, “There are as many attoseconds in a second as there are seconds that have passed since the Big Bang, approximately 13.8 billion years ago. It truly is an incredibly brief period of time.”
However, even when scientists are able to “see” electrons, their visibility is limited. “We can determine whether the electrons are on one side of a molecule or the other,” explained L’Huillier. “But the image remains blurry.”
“Electrons exhibit wave-like properties, similar to water waves. Our technique allows us to observe the position of the wave crest,” she added.
The experiments conducted by these Nobel laureates have provided humanity with groundbreaking tools to explore the world within atoms and molecules. This research has immense potential for electronic advancements, disease diagnosis, and fundamental chemistry, according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awarded the prize in Stockholm.
L’Huillier revealed that she was teaching when she received the call about winning the Nobel Prize. She jokingly mentioned that it was difficult to finish her lesson after such incredible news. “This is the most prestigious award, and I am overwhelmed with joy. It’s truly incredible,” she shared during the prize announcement press conference. “There have been very few women who have received this honor, so it’s especially meaningful.”
Swedish news agency TT reached Krausz, who is affiliated with the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, by phone in Germany during a holiday. When asked about the win, he humorously replied, “My colleagues are enjoying their day off, but I hope that we will meet tomorrow and celebrate with a bottle of champagne.”
Agostini is affiliated with Ohio State University in the U.S.
The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). The funds are provided through a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The laureates will receive their awards at ceremonies held on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.
Just a day before, Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their pivotal contributions to the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Stay tuned for further Nobel Prize announcements, with the chemistry prize set to be revealed on Wednesday, the literature prize on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, and the economics award on October 9.
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