Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Attosecond physics: A switch for light-wave electronics

Atoms in silicon dioxide are hit by the light wave, causing the electrons around each atom to oscillate. At the end of the cycle the absorbed energy is returned to the light wave. Recording the temporal evolution of the light field allows the first real-time observation of attosecond-scale electron motions within solids. Image: Christian Hackenberg
Atoms in silicon dioxide are hit by the light wave, causing the electrons around each atom to oscillate. At the end of the cycle the absorbed energy is returned to the light wave. Recording the temporal evolution of the light field allows the first real-time observation of attosecond-scale electron motions within solids.

Image: Christian Hackenberg

Abstract:
Light waves could in principle be used to drive future transistors. Since the electromagnetic waves of light oscillate approximately one million times in a billionth of a second, i.e. at petahertz (PHz) frequencies, optoelectronic computers could attain switching rates 100,000 times higher than current digital electronic systems. However, to achieve this goal, we will need a better understanding of the sub-atomic electron motion induced by the ultrafast electric field of light. Now a team led by Ferenc Krausz, who holds a Chair in Experimental Physics at LMU and is a Director of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, in collaboration with theorists from Tsukuba University in Japan, has used a novel combination of experimental and theoretical techniques, which for the first time provides direct access to the dynamics of this process. The new findings are reported in the journal Nature.

Attosecond physics: A switch for light-wave electronics

Munich, Germany | Posted on May 24th, 2016

Insights into attosecond electron dynamics

Electron movements form the basis of electronics, as they facilitate the storage, processing and transfer of information. State-of-the-art electronic circuits have reached their maximum clock rates at some billion switching cycles per second, as any further increase is limited by the heat generated in the process of switching power on and off. The electric field of light changes its direction a trillion times per second and is able to mobilize electrons in solids at this rate. This means that light waves can form the basis for future electronic switching, provided the induced electron motion and its influence on heat accumulation is precisely understood. In two papers published back-to-back in Nature in 2012, Krausz and his team had already shown that it is possible to manipulate the electronic properties of matter at optical frequencies (doi: 10.1038/nature11567, doi:10.1038/nature11720).

As in these earlier experiments, the researchers have now employed extremely intense laser pulses, each lasting for a few femtoseconds (1 fs is a millionth of a billionth of a second) to perturb electrons in glass (silicon dioxide). The light pulse consists of a single oscillation of the field, so the electrons are moved left and right only once. The full temporal characterization of the light field after transmission through the thin glass plate for the first time yields direct insight into the electron dynamics induced by the light pulse in the solid on an attosecond scale.

Optimizing the interaction of light and matter

This measurement technique reveals that electrons react to the incoming light within a few tens of attoseconds (1 as is a billionth of a billionth of a second). The duration of the delay in the response in turn determines the amount of energy transferred between light and matter. Since it is possible to measure the energy exchanged within one light cycle for the first time, the parameters of the light-matter interaction can be precisely determined and optimized for ultrafast signal processing. The greater the degree of reversibility in the exchange and the smaller the amount of energy left behind in the medium after passage of the light pulse, the more suitable the interaction becomes for future light field-driven electronics.

To obtain a detailed understanding of the observed phenomena, and identify the most appropriate set of experimental parameters for that purpose, the experiments were backed up by a novel simulation method based on first principles developed at the Center for Computational Sciences at University of Tsukuba. The theorists there used the K computer, currently the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world, to compute electron motions within solids with unprecedented accuracy.

The researchers succeeded in optimizing the energy consumption by carefully tuning the amplitude of the light field. At certain field strengths energy is transferred from the field to the solid during the first half of the pulse cycle and is almost completely re-emitted during in the second half of the oscillation period. These findings confirm that a potential switching medium for future light-driven electronics would not overheat. The 'cool relationship' between glass and light might thus provide an opportunity to dramatically accelerate electronic signal- and data processing to its ultimate limits.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Kathrin Bilgeri

49-892-180-6938

Copyright © Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Chip Technology

New chip opens door to AI computing at light speed February 16th, 2024

HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024

Electrons screen against conductivity-killer in organic semiconductors: The discovery is the first step towards creating effective organic semiconductors, which use significantly less water and energy, and produce far less waste than their inorganic counterparts February 16th, 2024

NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024

Optical computing/Photonic computing

Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024

New chip opens door to AI computing at light speed February 16th, 2024

HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024

NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Photonics/Optics/Lasers

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024

HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024

A battery’s hopping ions remember where they’ve been: Seen in atomic detail, the seemingly smooth flow of ions through a battery’s electrolyte is surprisingly complicated February 16th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project