We are extremely delighted to congratulate Professors Pierre Agostini of Ohio State University, Ferenc Krausz of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and our long-term collaborator Anne L’Huillier of Lund University for being awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. Their creation of attosecond pulses of light revolutionised the way that we can observe, study and control the dynamics of electrons inside matter, allowing us to match the time scale of the observation to the natural time scale at which the dynamics occur. This momentous achievement opened up a whole new field of study, attosecond science, marking a significant milestone in the realm of quantum physics and photonics.
The Nobel Committee has recognised the invaluable contributions of these three outstanding researchers, highlighting the innovation in laser science and engineering that they worked on for decades, constantly improving our ability to control and shape pulses of light, in both space and time, and their creativity in applying these advances to shine ever brighter light on the basic processes of the world around us from their very earliest moments.
At the Attosecond Quantum Physics Laboratory at King’s College London, we work daily in exploring and extending the wide field of inquiry into ultrafast processes opened up by the creation of attosecond pulses. Our Laboratory combines both experimental and theoretical attoscience, focusing on improving and increasing our control over the properties of light, and on understanding the ultrafast dynamics that it induces in a growing range of systems, from simple atoms to chiral molecules, nanoparticles, metamaterials and topological solids. We are also excited to combine attosecond resolution with novel advances in quantum information processing and to create pulses of quantum light at the attoscale. The award of the Nobel prize for our field inspires us to redouble our efforts to break novel ground.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Nobel laureates for their exceptional contributions to the field of attoscience. We are particularly glad that our long-time collaborator Anne, an outstanding role model for conducting science in an open and inclusive way, is receiving this honour. Their professional and personal triumph motivates us to pursue excellence in our own research endeavours, and to continue to improve the research community around us towards creating a fertile atmosphere that fosters the personal and scientific growth of all around us.
We wish our colleagues continued success, and we are eager to see what they will surprise us with next!
The Attosecond Quantum Physics Laboratory 'AttoKings'
Anne Weber, Séraphine Oakley, Anna Tomaselli, Benjamin Miller, Xiaozhou Zou, Cong Zhao, Dr Veronika Tsatourian, Dr Robert Jones.
Dr Margarita Khokhlova
Dr Emilio Pisanty
Dr Amelle Zair