Why Did Attosecond Physics Win the NOBEL PRIZE?

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Whenever we open a new window on the universe we discover something new. Whether it's figuring out how to see to greater distances like with telescopes, or down to smaller size-scales like with microscopes, or perhaps expanding our vision to new wavelengths of light or via exotic means such as in neutrinos or gravitational waves. Well, the 2023 Nobel prize in physics has been awarded to three physicists for opening just such a new window—but it's not a window to a new size scale or a new mode of seeing—-it’s for a new window in time. It’s for attosecond physics—the billionth of a billionth of a second that represents the timescale of the insides of atoms. This year’s Nobel in physics is for a microscope in time

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Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Fernando Franco Félix & Matt O'Dowd
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[john]

There are as many attoseconds in a second, as there are seconds in the history of our universe.
Best time scale reference ive seen

[jajssblue]

I remember when Femtosecond was groundbreaking just a decade ago. Amazing progress!

[planclops]

I’m not going to pretend that I understand half of what is explained in this video. That said, I really enjoy listening to these videos and appreciating the bits and pieces I do understand along the way.

[rcourtri]

I obeyed every law of physics for the whole year and they still won't give me the prize. It's completely rigged.

[gloom]

I did my masters thesis on this! Funny that the shortest timescales can also take us up to the highest energies. Methods similar to this that use a relativistically oscillating mirror instead of a gas may be able to take us up to the energy where it is predicted the vacuum itself breaks down and starts forming electron positron pairs spontaneously! Also amazing for particle accelerators, no need for billions on cern if you can generate fields that shoot electrons up to speed in a few cm!

[OpenMicRejects]

Because the "atta boys" wasn't sufficient enough praise for such a remarkable achievement?

[claritean]

I only watch these episodes to have my mind blown once a week. Basically what I get out of it is, the realization, just how much the scientists know and at what level their minds operate, while I am trying to figure out if my soup needs more salt or sugar to balance it out. Indeed winning a Nobel prize is no joke..

[nandodando]

To see electron clouds animated close up would be so cool.

[blacktimhoward]

This is a nice reminder of how inconceivably fast a planck time is; there are more planck times in an attosecond than attoseconds in a second

[DouwedeJong]

Unbelievable, what an astonishing achievement by these scientists. Thanks for making this video.

[sticks]

My uncle could break the laws of physics. He had a cushy government job. He finished at 5pm but somehow got home by 4pm. Amazing

[playmaka]

Great video! @3:06, it's worth noting a camera's aperture does not define exposure time, that is defined by shutter speed. The shutter usually opens or hinges vertically in the case of an SLR camera, and/or a digital sensor readout is performed vertically in most mirrorless cameras. The aperture defines the size of the opening through which light passes to reach the sensor and will control depth of field and image brightness.

[ultravidz]

Imagine how much hard drive space you’d need to record just 1 second at that frame rate

[rein]

The impacts of this on gravitational wave detection will fundamentally unlock our new way of observing as distance. Excited to see the evolution of space based gravitational astronomy.

[Jeremy-flxt]

Most cameras use a "shutter" to control the time exposure, not the "aperture" which can usually only decrease to some minimum amount that still lets light in.

[metazock]

What I love about this channel: Matt. Also: No clickbait ever. Thank you.

[geniej]

The James-Webb telescope findings, and now this?! So much cool physics going on this year!! Excellent video

[L.Scott_Music]

About ten years ago I was thinking about this subject for a science fiction writing project. My solution for the smallest amount of time was the fastest speed over the smallest distance. That is the time it takes light to travel a Planck length. Of course, this is a more useful system. :-)

[alre]

Amazing stuff!
And 3 Nobels in 2 years: Alain Aspect, last year and today Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini. Congrats to the French for their contribution to fondamental research in physics.

[berylman]

This is seriously groundbreaking stuff. Nobel prize well deserved