Two attosecond flashes capture electrons in motion
Researchers have successfully observed electron motion within xenon ions using a new technique involving two attosecond extreme-ultraviolet pulses. This method provides a clearer view of electronic dynamics by avoiding the interference typically caused by longer, intense near-infrared pulses.
Why it matters
Advancing the ability to observe sub-atomic motion at the attosecond scale is essential for understanding fundamental chemical reactions and charge flow in materials.
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Observation of hole motion in Xe⁺ ions. The upper panel shows the delay-dependent change in XUV absorption; the arrow marks an oscillatory feature near 16 eV. The lower panel shows a lineout of this feature, revealing a period of about 3 fs. Credit: MBI Electronic motion sets the stage for virtually every light-induced process in nature, from the first step of a chemical reaction to the flow of charge in a solid. Yet these processes unfold so rapidly that they can be observed only with flashes of light lasting a few hundred attoseconds—billionths of a billionth of a second.
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