idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Using a specialised laboratory setup, researchers at the University of Oldenburg have succeeded in generating 200,000 virtually identical infrared light pulses per second. The exact position of the light wave per pulse remained exceptionally stable for hours. The team writes in the journal ‘Applied Physics B – Lasers and Optics’ that this precise control of the light fields represents a decisive step forward. The aim is to manipulate the dynamics of individual electrons more precisely than ever before in experiments.
In the journal „Applied Physics B – Lasers and Optics”, the researchers present a laser system which generates 200,000 light pulses per second. Six Oldenburg researchers collaborated with members of a research group led by physics Nobel Laureate Professor Anne L’Huillier at Lund University (Sweden) to perform a detailed characterisation of the laser system. During the experiments, the precise position of the light wave – consisting of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye – remained extremely stable even over periods of several hours. The stable light fields resulting from a continuous series of identical light pulses make experiments on electron control possible – foundational research that could eventually lead to the development of devices such as ultra-fast transistors which operate at the speed of light.
The new aspect of this work, as Katrin Meier, lead author of the study explains, is the potentially record-breaking similarity between all 200,000 laser pulses per second. The researchers were able to control the stability of the electric field oscillations across a wide range of timescales, from microseconds to hours. The key factor here is the “carrier-envelope phase” (CEP), which together with other parameters defines the exact shape of the light wave: “You can think of the pulse as a brief flash during which there is room for only a few peaks and troughs in the oscillation of the electromagnetic field. The CEP determines where these peaks and troughs are located within the flash,” says Meier, a doctoral candidate in the research group, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). “Without a stable CEP, one pulse or flash would be completely different from the next – and controlled experiments that utilise the fields within the pulse would be impossible.”
Because the CEP is extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations, air movements and even the slightest vibrations, a meticulously planned and executed laser setup, together with the exceptionally stable conditions in the Oldenburg attosecond lab, are essential to its stability. Nevertheless, the stability of the CEP in the current experimental setup took the team by surprise, says Meier. Although the CEP describes only a very small quantity, it can have a major influence on measurement results, she explains: “A minimal shift in the CEP can determine how electrons react to the laser pulse – much like a precisely timed ‘push’ determines the direction in which a swing swings.” The excellent stability of the CEP in the now established setup opens up the possibility to conduct experiments in which it has previously been impossible to record any measurement signals whatsoever.
Katrin Meier, E-Mail: katrin.meier@uol.de
Dr. Jan Vogelsang, E-Mail: jan.vogelsang@uol.de
Meier, K., Klösgen, A., Harland, K. et al. Multiscale carrier-envelope phase characterization of 2-µm pulses delivered by a 200-kHz optical parametric amplifier. Appl. Phys. B 132, 97 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-026-08699-w
Physics doctoral candidate Katrin Meier in front of the laser system, which is characterized in deta ...
Copyright: University of Oldenburg / Marcus Windus
Starting with an empty table, the researchers precisely arranged a total of about 100 mirrors an ...
Copyright: University of Oldenburg / Arvid Kösgen
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten, Lehrer/Schüler, Studierende, Wissenschaftler, jedermann
Physik / Astronomie
überregional
Forschungsergebnisse, Wissenschaftliche Publikationen
Englisch
Physics doctoral candidate Katrin Meier in front of the laser system, which is characterized in deta ...
Copyright: University of Oldenburg / Marcus Windus
Starting with an empty table, the researchers precisely arranged a total of about 100 mirrors an ...
Copyright: University of Oldenburg / Arvid Kösgen
Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.
Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).
Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.
Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).
Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).
