Add BrightSurf on Google Email

X-rays: beyond the Nobel Prize limit

Researchers at TU Wien and University of California San Diego have discovered a new quantum regime of coherent X-ray generation with higher energies, breaking the conventional energy cutoff limit. The effect is attributed to the interaction between two electrons in helium atoms, which release their energy simultaneously.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalNature Photonics·DateAug 11, 2026

New 'chiral vortex' of light reveals molecular mirror images

A new structure of light has been discovered that can accurately measure chirality in molecules, a property of asymmetry important in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. This 'chiral vortex' provides an accurate and robust form of measurement, allowing for the detection of chiral biomarkers.

SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalNature Photonics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 2, 2024

Progress in the investigation of ultrafast electron dynamics using short light pulses

Scientists have made significant progress in understanding ultrafast electron dynamics by tracking the motion of electrons released from zinc oxide crystals using laser pulses. The research team combined photoemission electron microscopy and attosecond physics technology to achieve temporal accuracy, enabling them to study the interact...

SourceUniversity of Oldenburg·JournalAdvanced Physics Research·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 4, 2024

Dual-wavelength lasing: a new tool for steering High-harmonic generation

Researchers have developed a method to generate mid-infrared pulses with dual-wavelength spectral shaping, enabling flexible tunability in both temporal and spectral domains. This allows for enhanced High-Harmonic generation (HHG) control, opening new possibilities for applications such as electron dynamics and light-matter interaction.

SourceUltrafast Science·JournalUltrafast Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 30, 2023

Shedding new light on controlling material properties

Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered a scaling law that determines high-order harmonic generation in the perovskite material Ca2RuO4. The phenomenon, which was first observed in atomic gas systems, has been found to be highly dependent on temperature and gap energy.

SourceKyoto University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 5, 2022

Center stage for quantum mechanical entanglement in an attosecond laser laboratory

Quantum entanglement is studied in attosecond laser laboratory experiments, where neutral hydrogen molecules are ionized using an attosecond pulse. The experiment reveals a competition between vibrational coherence and entanglement, demonstrating the breakdown of local realism.

SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 27, 2022

Experiments confirm a quantum material’s unique response to circularly polarized laser light

Scientists confirmed that topological insulators produce a unique signature from their surface when exposed to circularly polarized laser light. This discovery was made possible by high harmonic generation, which enhances the signal coming from the surface and gives it a distinctive signature.

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 22, 2021

Nanostructures enable record high-harmonic generation

Engineered nanostructures overcome problems in gas-based high-harmonic generation, enabling scientists to observe molecular dynamics with a single laser shot. The record-breaking conversion efficiency covers a wide range of photon energies, opening up new opportunities for studying matter at ultrahigh fields.

SourceCornell University·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 21, 2021

X-ray vision through the water window

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a high-repetition-rate laser source producing coherent soft x-rays spanning the entire 'water window', enabling new applications in chemistry and biology. The system, capable of 100 kHz repetition rates, demonstrates a significant improvement over existing sources.