Scientists received Nobel Prize for their work on electrons 

[객원 에디터 6기/ 이석현 기자] Three scientists have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics for their work on creating extremely short pulses of light that can be harnessed to study processes inside atoms and molecules. Pierre Agostini of Ohio State University, Ferenc Krausz of Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and Anne L’Huillier of Lund University will each be receiving equal shares of the 11 million Swedish kronor (£823,000) prize announced on Tuesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. This marked the 117th Nobel prize to be presented since 1901.

The scientists earned their honor by giving us the first split-second glimpse into the fast world of spinning electrons, a field that could one day lead to better electronics and disease diagnoses. Electrons move at an impressive 43 miles a second which has long made them nearly impossible to study and isolate them. But now, having a slight glimpse at the tiniest fraction of a second possible, scientists can now open up whole new fields. 

The new experimental techniques devised by these three scientist-laureates use short light pulses to capture an electron’s movement at a single moment in time. According to Nobel Committee member Mats Larsson, “[t]he electrons are very fast, and the electrons are really the workforce everywhere. Once you can control and understand electrons, you have taken a very big step forward.” Physicist Mark Pearce, a Nobel Committee member, further added that “there are as many attoseconds in a second as there are seconds which have passed since the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. But even when scientists look at the electron, there’s only so much they can view.”

Dr. L’Huillier was in the middle of a class break when her phone rang, according to the Nobel Foundation. She took the call in a corner and learned of the news. “I am so happy to get this prize,” she said. “It’s incredible.” 

Sources: The Guardian, ABC News, NY Times, AP News