The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 to
Pierre Agostini
The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Ferenc Krausz
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Garching and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
Anne L’Huillier
Lund University, Sweden
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier for their groundbreaking work in experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light. The Royal Swedish Academy of Science made the announcement on October 3, 2023.
The three laureates are honored for their significant contributions to the field of electron dynamics within atoms and molecules. Through their experiments, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier have developed a technique for producing extremely short pulses of light. These pulses enable the observation and measurement of rapid electron movements and energy changes within matter.
The attosecond pulses created by the laureates allow for the observation of events lasting only a few tenths of attoseconds—a quintillionth (10^(-18)) of a second. To put this into perspective, an attosecond is so brief that there are as many attoseconds in one second as there have been seconds since the birth of the universe.
The breakthrough methodology provides a means to capture detailed images of the internal processes occurring inside atoms and molecules. This revolutionary technology opens new avenues for exploring and understanding the intricate dynamics of the microscopic world.
The Laureates were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on October 4, 2022, for their groundbreaking research spanning several decades. This research enabled the investigation of ultra-rapid processes that were previously beyond observational reach, particularly in understanding and controlling electron behavior within materials. The recipients, Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger, were recognized for their experiments involving entangled photons, the establishment of the violation of Bell inequalities, and their pioneering contributions to quantum information science.
This prestigious physics prize followed the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Medicine on the previous day, awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their pivotal discoveries that facilitated the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Upcoming announcements include the Nobel Chemistry Prize on October 4 and the Literature Prize on October 5. The Nobel Peace Prize will be revealed on a later date, while the Economics Award is scheduled for October 9.
Each Nobel Prize carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million), sourced from the endowment established by the prize’s founder, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who passed away in 1896. This year, the prize money was increased by 1 million kronor due to the devaluation of the Swedish currency.
The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies held on December 10, coinciding with the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The Peace Prize ceremony is conducted in Oslo as per Nobel’s wishes, while the ceremony for other categories takes place in Stockholm.
The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2023 has been awarded to Pierre Agostini from The Ohio State University, USA, Ferenc Krausz from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Germany, and Anne L’Huillier from Lund University, Sweden. The laureates are honored for their groundbreaking experimental work in generating attosecond pulses of light, allowing the study of electron dynamics in matter.
Their experiments provide humanity with innovative tools to explore the behavior of electrons within atoms and molecules. By creating extremely short pulses of light measured in attoseconds, the laureates have enabled the observation of rapid processes in which electrons move or change energy. In the realm of electrons, changes occur in a few tenths of an attosecond, a unit of time so brief that there are as many attoseconds in one second as there have been seconds since the birth of the universe.
Anne L’Huillier’s 1987 discovery revealed that transmitting infrared laser light through a noble gas produced various overtones of light. Each overtone, representing a specific number of cycles for each cycle in the laser light, was caused by the interaction of laser light with atoms in the gas. This breakthrough laid the foundation for subsequent advancements.
In 2001, Pierre Agostini successfully generated and investigated consecutive light pulses, each lasting a mere 250 attoseconds. Simultaneously, Ferenc Krausz conducted experiments isolating a single light pulse lasting 650 attoseconds. These achievements allowed scientists to delve into processes so rapid that they were previously inaccessible.
Eva Olsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, emphasizes the significance of attosecond physics in understanding electron-governed mechanisms. The laureates’ contributions open the door to exploring the world of electrons, with potential applications in electronics to comprehend and control electron behavior in materials. Additionally, attosecond pulses can be utilized in various areas, such as medical diagnostics, to identify different molecules.
