A measurement method that opens up new possibilities for quantum technologies and ultra-high-speed electronics has been developed with the collaboration of ELI ALPS Laser Research Institute in Szeged, the scientific institution announced on Monday.
In quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons behave like waves and can even interfere with each other. However, this surprising property contradicts our classical understanding of reality. In the journal Physical Review Letters, researchers described a new technique they developed for manipulating temporal quantum interference during photoionization. In their experiment, they controlled the motion of electrons with unique precision. By carefully adjusting the timing and intensity of the pulse, they were able to control the photoemission process so that electrons emitted at different times reached the same final energy and thus interfered coherently. This interference resulted in well-defined interference patterns that revealed important information about the ultrafast physics underlying the phenomenon. Theoretical simulations and unique experiments conducted at the laser research institute in Szeged have now provided the first clear experimental evidence of this difficult-to-measure but long-suspected phenomenon, which until now had been impossible to study.
By creating the complex experimental conditions required for the measurement, ELI ALPS researchers played a key role in the discovery, enabling the separation and control of various atomic-level processes, that was essential for successful observation. The study, published in the prestigious journal, is the result of close collaboration between researchers at the Politecnico di Milano, the University of Lund, the Italian IFN-CNR, ETH Zurich, and ELI ALPS. This breakthrough method provides deeper insights into how matter reacts to intense laser fields at the quantum level. With this new, powerful tool, researchers can manipulate the behavior of electrons on the attosecond timescale, opening up new possibilities for quantum technologies and ultra-fast electronics, reads the announcement.
Source: Hungary Today
