Nobel Prize lecture: Ferenc Krausz, Nobel Prize in Physics 2023
TLDRThe speaker, a Nobel laureate, discusses the groundbreaking advancements in attosecond physics, which allow for the observation and control of electron motions at atomic scales. He highlights the role of control in time-resolved observations and the use of ultra-short laser pulses to explore subatomic phenomena. The lecture also touches on the potential applications of this technology in health monitoring and signal processing, emphasizing the importance of theorists in the development of attosecond science.
Takeaways
- 🏆 The speaker expresses gratitude for the honor bestowed upon them by the Royal Swedish Academy and acknowledges the support from various individuals and collaborators worldwide.
- 🌟 Special thanks are given to Arnold Schmidt for guidance and Paul Kuptsov for his deep insight into electron phenomena, which significantly influenced the speaker's path.
- 🔬 The lecture focuses on how second-physics opens up the study of subatomic electron motions that were previously inaccessible, highlighting the importance of control in time-resolved observation and exploration.
- 🚀 The development of ultra-short, powerful laser pulses through nonlinear optics and pulse amplification has advanced the field of attosecond technology, allowing for the precise control of light's electric field.
- 🌌 The speaker discusses the use of attosecond pulses to study electron dynamics in atoms, including the process of ionization and the emission of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light.
- 🔮 Attosecond streaking is introduced as a method to measure the time of flight of electrons, providing insights into the temporal profile of XUV pulses and enabling real-time observation of electron-light phenomena.
- 🛠️ The potential applications of attosecond physics are explored, including advancements in electronics, understanding light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, and health monitoring through blood plasma analysis.
- 🔬 The script describes experiments that reveal the temporal dynamics of electron tunneling in krypton atoms, showing that the process is confined to the central wave cycle of a cosine-shaped waveform.
- 🧬 The potential of attosecond technology in health sciences is discussed, with the possibility of detecting changes in blood plasma molecular composition indicative of health and disease transitions.
- 📈 The speaker presents data on the use of infrared fingerprinting for distinguishing between cancer patients and controls, suggesting high classification efficiency for early detection of lung cancer.
- 🌱 The speaker concludes with a commitment to pursue the goal of making attosecond technology more accessible for early disease detection and emphasizes the importance of supporting children's dreams, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Ukraine.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the lecture given by Professor Ferenc Krausz?
-The main theme of the lecture is the exploration of subatomic motions of electrons, which were inaccessible to human observation until the turn of the millennium, and how second physics opens the door to this world.
What role did Professor Krausz acknowledge in his opening remarks?
-Professor Krausz acknowledged the support of the Royal Swedish Academy, his family, teachers, co-workers in Austria and Germany, and collaborators worldwide, emphasizing the contributions of Arnold Schmidt and Paul Corkum.
What is the significance of the control of electrons' current in the context of the lecture?
-Control is central to time-resolved observation and exploration, as it underlies the capturing of fast varying electronic signals in microscopic circuits and the observation of electron phenomena in atomic and subatomic dimensions.
What are the two technical developments mentioned that advanced attosecond technology to its limits?
-The two technical developments are the invention of a device for frequency sweep broadening by Orazio Svelto and the chirped multi-layer mirrors invented by Robert C. and Kári Pálfalvi, which together enable the generation of powerful pulses consisting of a single intense oscillation cycle.
What is the concept of a light field-driven streak camera, and how does it contribute to precision attosecond metrology?
-The light field-driven streak camera is a concept by Paul Corkum where the time of flight of electrons is measured, which are catapulted from atoms in the presence of a laser field. This allows for the mapping of the temporal profile of the XUV pulse to a final momentum distribution of photoelectrons, enabling the retrieval of both the laser waveform and the complex amplitude of the attosecond XUV pulse.
How does the experiment involving single-cycle laser pulses and XUV pulses provide insight into optical field-induced electron tunneling?
-The experiment uses single-cycle laser pulses to ionize atoms and then sends XUV pulses with a delay through the ionizing medium to analyze its spectrum. Changes in the spectrum provide information about the electron liberation process, offering direct time-domain insight into optical field-induced electron tunneling.
What is the potential application of attosecond technology in the field of health monitoring?
-Attosecond technology could potentially contribute to early detection of health conditions by analyzing the molecular composition of human blood plasma, which is a sensitive indicator of health and disease transitions.
What is the advantage of using single-cycle infrared laser pulses for blood plasma analysis?
-Single-cycle infrared laser pulses can coherently excite molecular vibrations within the blood plasma's spectral band, radiating coherent infrared waves that provide a molecular fingerprint characteristic of the sample's molecular composition, which can indicate health abnormalities.
How does the classification efficiency of distinguishing cancer cases from controls improve with attosecond spectroscopy?
-The classification efficiency improves by increasing the cancer-induced signal differences and reducing the spread of controls. Attosecond spectroscopy can detect these differences in molecular composition, which become more pronounced as the disease progresses.
What is the potential impact of attosecond technology on the early detection of chronic conditions like cancer?
-Attosecond technology could enable the screening of whole populations for early detection of chronic conditions, potentially saving millions of lives each year by identifying diseases at a stage where they are more treatable.
Outlines
🎓 Recognition and Gratitude in Scientific Achievement
The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for receiving an award, acknowledging the support from various individuals and institutions throughout their career. They highlight the collaborative nature of their work, emphasizing the importance of control in time-resolved observations and exploration in the field of physics. The speaker also mentions the role of quantum mechanics in understanding subatomic motion and the use of advanced technologies to manipulate and observe electron phenomena at the nanoscale.
🚀 Advancing Ultrafast Technology with Laser Pulses
This paragraph delves into the technical advancements that have enabled the creation of ultra-short, powerful laser pulses with controlled waveforms. The speaker discusses Nobel prize-winning concepts such as lasers, nonlinear optics, and CPA (Chirped Pulse Amplification). They explain how these technologies have been used to broaden the frequency spectrum of laser pulses and compress them to achieve pulses with a single oscillation cycle, which is a significant step towards precision at a second metrology.
🔬 Pioneering Experiments in Subfemtosecond Metrology
The speaker recounts experiments conducted in Vienna that utilized single-cycle laser pulses to study atomic ionization and the subsequent emission of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light. They describe the use of a 'streak camera' concept to measure the time of flight of electrons ejected from atoms, which allowed for the observation and control of electron phenomena on an attosecond timescale. This led to the first strong experimental evidence of the existence of isolated attosecond pulses.
🌟 Exploring Subatomic Motion with Attosecond Spectroscopy
The paragraph focuses on the use of attosecond spectroscopy to explore subatomic motion, specifically the process of optical field-induced electron tunneling in krypton atoms. The speaker describes how the temporal confinement of the laser pulses allows for the observation of this fundamental strong-field phenomenon and how the attosecond techniques employed provide insights into the dynamics of electron liberation from atoms.
🛠 Applications of Attosecond Physics in Technology and Health
The speaker speculates on the potential applications of attosecond physics, suggesting its use in advancing electronics through nanoscale signal processing and in health monitoring through the analysis of blood plasma. They discuss the possibility of using attosecond technology for early detection of diseases by examining changes in the molecular composition of blood, which could lead to significant advancements in healthcare.
🔬 Real-time Observation of Light-Electron Energy Exchange
This paragraph explores the use of attosecond technology to observe and manipulate the energy exchange between light and electronic systems in real-time. The speaker describes experiments involving light field sampling and the use of oscillating light as a probe to measure the displacement of electronic charge density, or polarization, which is a fundamental consequence of light-matter interaction.
🏥 Attosecond Infrared Fingerprinting for Health Screening
The speaker concludes by discussing the potential of attosecond infrared fingerprinting for early detection of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders. They describe a study that compared the molecular fingerprints of blood plasma from lung cancer patients with those from healthy individuals, highlighting the differences that could be used for screening purposes. The speaker expresses hope that this technology could become affordable for widespread use, potentially saving millions of lives annually.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Attosecond Physics
💡Lolli Pulses
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Control
💡Nonlinear Optics
💡Carrier Envelope Phase
💡Streak Camera
💡XUV Light
💡Optical Field-Induced Electron Tunneling
💡Field-Dissolved Spectroscopy
💡Polarization
Highlights
Introduction of Professor and Director Fens Krauss and his gratitude towards the Royal Swedish Academy and his supporters.
The acknowledgment of Arnold Schmidt and Paul Kums for their influence on Professor Krauss' work.
The revelation that subatomic motion of electrons was inaccessible until the turn of the millennium.
Explanation of how quantum mechanics revealed the nature of subatomic motion through electron excitation.
The central role of control in time-resolved observation and exploration of electron phenomena.
The use of transistors and microwave electric fields to capture fast varying electronic signals.
The concept of controlling the electric field of light to observe and control electron phenomena at atomic scales.
The development of lasers and nonlinear optics for producing ultra-short, powerful pulses with controlled waveforms.
The invention of devices like the phase-spreader and chirped multi-layer mirrors for advancing femtosecond technology.
The availability of powerful pulses consisting of a single intense oscillation cycle for precision metrology.
The review of the first femtosecond generation measurement experiment in Vienna and the use of single wave cycle pulses.
The discovery of isolated subfemtosecond pulses in a series of experiments performed at the Technical University of Vienna.
The introduction of the light field-driven streak camera for precision femtosecond metrology.
The demonstration of how control enables observation on an attosecond time scale with the use of varying force.
The use of single-cycle laser pulses to trigger motion and XUV pulses to capture snapshots for reconstructing subatomic motion.
The observation of optical field-induced electron tunneling in krypton atoms confined to the central wave cycle.
The surprising discovery that the ion population rise time in krypton atoms is slower than predicted by theory.
The potential applications of attosecond physics in advancing electronics and understanding light-electron energy exchange at the nanoscale.
The proposal of using field-dissolved spectroscopy for detecting minute changes in the molecular composition of human blood plasma.
The comparison of electric field molecular fingerprints for early detection of chronic conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disorders.
The potential of infrared fingerprinting for populational health screening and its predicted high detection efficiencies.
The commitment to pursuing the goal of making infrared fingerprinting affordable for early detection of severe chronic conditions.
The closing remarks on the importance of the Academy's decision for the benefit of children in Ukraine and the pursuit of scientific advancements.
Transcripts
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