Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 Explained: The Fastest Light (Pulses) Ever Made.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three experimental physicists at the cutting-edge of the subject!
Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L'Huillier were each given a 1/3 share of the prize, and it's exciting to see that fairly new, experimental physics is being recognised on such a large scale.
The award was given for work on "attosecond physics", a fairly new area of physics studying things that happen very quickly (on the attosecond, or 10*(-18) second level). The Nobel Prize awardees have worked on generating pulses of (laser) light that are on the order of attoseconds in length.
This is impossible to do by simply switching on and off our laser, since doing so this quickly is mechanically impossible. Instead, scientists use the principle of superposition to generate resultant light waves that are formed of very short pulses of high amplitude.
To do so, they need to combine multiple light waves that are different from each other by a constant frequency difference. For example, light pulses can be combined by adding together waves that are 990 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1010 Hz. These waves, which are separated from the next by a constant (10 Hz in this case) will combine together and interfere to generate regular pulses. But this will only happen if the phases and amplitudes of each combined wave are correct.
Not long after the invention of the laser, scientists managed to generate pulses on the order of microseconds in length. This quickly dropped to nanoseconds, then femtoseconds. But as time has passed, the femtosecond barrier has been difficult to break due to limits on both physical systems and our understanding of physics.
Our Nobel Prize winners have all worked on generating attosecond pulses of light, which finally broke the femtosecond barrier. One method is High Harmonic Generation (HHG), where a pulsed laser fired into a gas creates higher order harmonics that are equally spaced in frequency. Our winners showed that these harmonics could be forced to have the right phases and amplitudes such that, when combined, they created pulses on the order of attoseconds.
But what are these pulses even used for? One use is outlined in the Nobel Committee's description of why these scientists won the prize. They state that the pulses can be used to understand electron dynamics in matter.
One example of this that we see in the video is when an inner-shell electron is ejected from an atom. It leaves behind a hole, which can be filled by another electron from a higher shell. But this happens so fast that even femtosecond pulses are too fast to give us an exact picture of what's going on. We don't know if a single electron falls from a higher level to the lower one, or if all the electrons rearrange, or if something else entirely happens. We need attosecond pulses to give us more information about how electrons behave within atoms and molecules.
Thanks for watching, please do check out my links:
MERCH - parth-gs-merch-stand.creator-...
INSTAGRAM - @parthvlogs
PATREON - patreon.com/parthg
MUSIC CHANNEL - Parth G Music
Here are some affiliate links for things I use!
Quantum Physics Book I Enjoy: amzn.to/3sxLlgL
My Camera: amzn.to/2SjZzWq
ND Filter: amzn.to/3qoGwHk
Timestamps:
0:00 - Pulsed Lasers and Interference
1:38 - How to Make Pulses (and Make Them Shorter)
2:54 - The History of Pulsed Light
3:55 - A Breakthrough! High Harmonic Generation
4:29 - Applications: Electron Dynamics in Matter
5:35 - Conclusion

Пікірлер: 57

  • @sergeyborodin9211
    @sergeyborodin92118 ай бұрын

    Now, the next bit to understand is to what happens in the gas - why do wide pulses produce narrow ones...waiting for a second part! Thanks a lot - you are a star!

  • @aerostorm_

    @aerostorm_

    8 ай бұрын

    A photon is essentially a traveling wave quantity in the electromagnetic field that can impart force. This longer wavelength light imparts electromagnetic energy on the electrons of the noble gas. The electron gets bumped up into a higher energy state until electromagnetic forces in the atomic structure pull it back down. When it reverses that energy it obtained from the long wave light it produces its own light as a balancing result. Each element has its own set of harmonics in what wavelength it produces in this process, which is why we can accurately use these noble gases to produce specific wavelengths of light for this effect we want in creating pulses.

  • @sergeyborodin9211

    @sergeyborodin9211

    8 ай бұрын

    @@aerostorm_ Thanks! Is this effect similar to or based on the emission spectrum of a particular gas?

  • @imranafzal5225
    @imranafzal52258 ай бұрын

    You have amazing skills of understanding the concepts and describing them beautifully.

  • @pavangaonkardonigadde

    @pavangaonkardonigadde

    8 ай бұрын

    With respect ... Everyone can achieve that with practice and thinking

  • @theartofancientegyptianmet1747
    @theartofancientegyptianmet17478 ай бұрын

    Congratulations!!!

  • @alsadab7151
    @alsadab71518 ай бұрын

    So good Parth

  • @neculaiplugaru3514

    @neculaiplugaru3514

    7 ай бұрын

    As a Laser enthusiastic person you would read their papers :)

  • @stephenzhao5809
    @stephenzhao58098 ай бұрын

    4:06 " ... for the study of electron dynamics in matter. " 5:00 the trouble is that within atoms move around very very quickly too quickly for even our fosc pulses to give us an accurate picture 5:08 for example

  • @thespecialkid1384
    @thespecialkid13848 ай бұрын

    Great video 🙂👍

  • @Curxd
    @Curxd8 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the explanation Parth.

  • @topquarkbln
    @topquarkbln8 ай бұрын

    Thanks for explaining and sharing 👍

  • @ahmedrafea8542
    @ahmedrafea85428 ай бұрын

    Thanks again, and again. Wonderfully explained.

  • @raylime
    @raylime8 ай бұрын

    Great video as always, will You cover the physics-related nobel prizes as well? (for example quantum dots in chemistry)

  • @sethlamancusa
    @sethlamancusa8 ай бұрын

    So dissapointed your content doesn't have more views. I love physics KZread and only just found your channel. Keep it up---you're one of a few channels that I feel strike just the right balance between simple and complex explanation.

  • @geeknerd763
    @geeknerd7638 ай бұрын

    Damn! That's a good short and sweet explanation which covers all the major key points👍

  • @oosmanbeekawoo
    @oosmanbeekawoo7 ай бұрын

    It's good you're getting into colour grading!

  • @FrancisFjordCupola
    @FrancisFjordCupola8 ай бұрын

    Finally a subject befitting my attention span. :P

  • @VascoDaGamaOtRupcha
    @VascoDaGamaOtRupcha8 ай бұрын

    Great explanation👍

  • @khudadatbaluch7884
    @khudadatbaluch78846 ай бұрын

    please explain the physics from the start to end. you understand it very well. please

  • @arunms8696
    @arunms86968 ай бұрын

    Thank you❤️

  • @RY97
    @RY978 ай бұрын

    Great video

  • @appleorange754
    @appleorange7548 ай бұрын

    really informative

  • @AutisticThinker
    @AutisticThinker8 ай бұрын

    I was just searching for a good video explaining this. 👍

  • @jimhunt2283
    @jimhunt22837 ай бұрын

    Could you do another vid explaining what they then "saw" regarding the electrons i.e. what were they up to and where were they going? Are quantum leaps between shells not instantaneous? Good vid.

  • @amitavaroycal
    @amitavaroycal7 ай бұрын

    Hi Parth, Thanks for the excellent video! But I am struggling with this new term pulse (technically speaking). In terms of frequency/wavelength, how do you define pulse of Laser (light) please?

  • @muddle.
    @muddle.8 ай бұрын

    what a great explanation

  • @MrElvis1971
    @MrElvis19718 ай бұрын

    Wish you made more content.

  • @AshokGoyal1
    @AshokGoyal17 ай бұрын

    Simple explanation of this physics phenomenon for a layman. Good job 👍👏

  • @yasploofyh8358
    @yasploofyh83588 ай бұрын

    Aren't the shells in Boh'r model quantised? Then how will you observe the trajectory of the electrons with the laser when they just quantum ''teleport'' to the other shell?

  • @ChadWilson
    @ChadWilson8 ай бұрын

    Would attosecond pulses enable LIGO to be more sensitive to gravitational waves?

  • @jamesraymond1158
    @jamesraymond11587 ай бұрын

    An example of what one might learn with attosecond pulses would be helpful. That would be a good place to start the video.

  • @CGMaat
    @CGMaat7 ай бұрын

    Like sound into water or sound into sand particles on vibrating plate -or now light light into gas - creates harmonics - wow all is what tesla said - all is vibration -music of the cosmos following the cord phi and pi.

  • @hep4104
    @hep41048 ай бұрын

    Sir, please suggest topics and tips on how to write a physics research paper.

  • @ganeshbhogaraju4558
    @ganeshbhogaraju45585 ай бұрын

    Which wave are you talking about ? Is it radio wave or acoustic wave or some other wave, properties may differ among one another.

  • @AirwavesEnglish
    @AirwavesEnglish7 ай бұрын

    Hello Parth. On the path to understanding various concepts in physics, students are required to start at the bottom with simple geometry and Algebra. This is a given. Somewhere along the way though, a lot of Greek letters start turning up and this is what throws me off. For the life of me, I can't find out which of these letters are related to which area of physics and there's no real way for me to google them. I don't know where exactly to start. Would it be possible to make a video explaining the concepts of these various symbols and what they mean and how to choose which ones to apply when trying to solve problems? I hope my request makes sense. Thank you.

  • @millerhighlife6722
    @millerhighlife67228 ай бұрын

    Lovely

  • @commentfromnitya
    @commentfromnitya7 ай бұрын

    what could be its functional benefits to common human? Could you please explain?

  • @dr.mohammedgazzalifaizee2763
    @dr.mohammedgazzalifaizee27638 ай бұрын

    In 5:19 sir you have used inner shell electrons and once it is ejected, it is filled by a higher shell electron. Here, could you please clarify me regarding which is higher energy shell.....?

  • @kulanchandrasekaran4462

    @kulanchandrasekaran4462

    8 ай бұрын

    The smaller sized shell near the nucleus has low energy. As you travel outwards, the electrons in the larger shells have higher and higher energies per electron, their energy levels increasing with their increasing distance from the nucleus.

  • @tkbwv
    @tkbwv7 ай бұрын

    I wish Paul Corkum had gotten the Nobel prize

  • @nosferatu5500
    @nosferatu55008 ай бұрын

    Top G

  • @YoutubeKeyboardIssueSucks
    @YoutubeKeyboardIssueSucks8 ай бұрын

    all amazing ,but does this help general public.Why is nobel awareded more for research stuff n not more tangible uses

  • @FraudFighterrs
    @FraudFighterrs8 ай бұрын

    Sup dude

  • @synapse187
    @synapse1878 ай бұрын

    Binaural beats, but with LIGHT!

  • @rocketsandmore6505
    @rocketsandmore65058 ай бұрын

    parth bro i got selected in IIT

  • @spyhunter0066
    @spyhunter00668 ай бұрын

    "isn't a brandnew physics."

  • @rajnitsandhu222
    @rajnitsandhu2228 ай бұрын

    Hindi m b bnao pls

  • @williamwalker39
    @williamwalker3913 күн бұрын

    Superluminal, nearly instantaneous EM pulses were observed in the nearfield of a resent experiment! See the last paper linked below. The speed of light is not a constant as once thought, and this has now been proved by Electrodynamic theory and by Experiments done by many independent researchers. The results clearly show that light propagates instantaneously when it is created by a source, and reduces to approximately the speed of light in the farfield, about one wavelength from the source, and never becomes equal to exactly c. This corresponds the phase speed, group speed, and information speed. Any theory assuming the speed of light is a constant, such as Special Relativity and General Relativity are wrong, and it has implications to Quantum theories as well. So this fact about the speed of light affects all of Modern Physics. Often it is stated that Relativity has been verified by so many experiments, how can it be wrong. Well no experiment can prove a theory, and can only provide evidence that a theory is correct. But one experiment can absolutely disprove a theory, and the new speed of light experiments proving the speed of light is not a constant is such a proof. So what does it mean? Well a derivation of Relativity using instantaneous nearfield light yields Galilean Relativity. This can easily seen by inserting c=infinity into the Lorentz Transform, yielding the GalileanTransform, where time is the same in all inertial frames. So a moving object observed with instantaneous nearfield light will yield no Relativistic effects, whereas by changing the frequency of the light such that farfield light is used will observe Relativistic effects. But since time and space are real and independent of the frequency of light used to measure its effects, then one must conclude the effects of Relativity are just an optical illusion. Since General Relativity is based on Special Relativity, then it has the same problem. A better theory of Gravity is Gravitoelectromagnetism which assumes gravity can be mathematically described by 4 Maxwell equations, similar to to those of electromagnetic theory. It is well known that General Relativity reduces to Gravitoelectromagnetism for weak fields, which is all that we observe. Using this theory, analysis of an oscillating mass yields a wave equation set equal to a source term. Analysis of this equation shows that the phase speed, group speed, and information speed are instantaneous in the nearfield and reduce to the speed of light in the farfield. This theory then accounts for all the observed gravitational effects including instantaneous nearfield and the speed of light farfield. The main difference is that this theory is a field theory, and not a geometrical theory like General Relativity. Because it is a field theory, Gravity can be then be quantized as the Graviton. Lastly it should be mentioned that this research shows that the Pilot Wave interpretation of Quantum Mechanics can no longer be criticized for requiring instantaneous interaction of the pilot wave, thereby violating Relativity. It should also be noted that nearfield electromagnetic fields can be explained by quantum mechanics using the Pilot Wave interpretation of quantum mechanics and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (HUP), where Δx and Δp are interpreted as averages, and not the uncertainty in the values as in other interpretations of quantum mechanics. So in HUP: Δx Δp = h, where Δp=mΔv, and m is an effective mass due to momentum, thus HUP becomes: Δx Δv = h/m. In the nearfield where the field is created, Δx=0, therefore Δv=infinity. In the farfield, HUP: Δx Δp = h, where p = h/λ. HUP then becomes: Δx h/λ = h, or Δx=λ. Also in the farfield HUP becomes: λmΔv=h, thus Δv=h/(mλ). Since p=h/λ, then Δv=p/m. Also since p=mc, then Δv=c. So in summary, in the nearfield Δv=infinity, and in the farfield Δv=c, where Δv is the average velocity of the photon according to Pilot Wave theory. Consequently the Pilot wave interpretation should become the preferred interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. It should also be noted that this argument can be applied to all fields, including the graviton. Hence all fields should exhibit instantaneous nearfield and speed c farfield behavior, and this can explain the non-local effects observed in quantum entangled particles. *KZread presentation of above arguments: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pZmExqxwpra3prQ.html *More extensive paper for the above arguments: William D. Walker and Dag Stranneby, A New Interpretation of Relativity, 2023: vixra.org/abs/2309.0145 *Electromagnetic pulse experiment paper: www.techrxiv.org/doi/full/10.36227/techrxiv.170862178.82175798/v1 Dr. William Walker - PhD in physics from ETH Zurich, 1997

  • @manipulativer
    @manipulativer8 ай бұрын

    good thing feynman was wrong when he said a photon can not interfere with each other but only with self.

  • @blogintonblakley2708
    @blogintonblakley27087 ай бұрын

    Nobel Prize... LOL

  • @wayneyadams
    @wayneyadams8 ай бұрын

    This is the way we generate beats in class using sound waves. The number of beats is the difference between the frequencies. Of all the great research being done, the Nobel committee decided this was the most outstanding research thus deserving the Nobel Prize. Le me propose the following which will probably genrate a lot of hateful responses from outraged viewers. Could it be that the inclusion of a woman in the award played a role in the decision? Let's be honest here, the Nobel committe are most likely a bunch of progressive leftists and the chance to award a prize to the fifth woman ever was on their minds.

  • @LaplaceVI

    @LaplaceVI

    8 ай бұрын

    What would you have preferred been given the nobel prize?

  • @user-pj1wv1ns9x
    @user-pj1wv1ns9x7 ай бұрын

    Floatheadphysics better than u

  • @Nightscape_
    @Nightscape_8 ай бұрын

    I'm afraid your late to the party. The Science Discussed channel already told us about this days ago.