Revolutionizing Materials Physics with Spectroscopy Breakthrough.

Scientists from the University of Ottawa and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light have developed a novel photonics system that combines terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and real-time monitoring to investigate irreversible physical, chemical, and biological phenomena. The system allows for the observation of non-reversible electronic or lattice reconfigurations, notably occurring during phase transitions, and can trace vibrational resonances of molecules to study the enigmatic role of enzymes in chemical reactions. The researchers anticipate that this system will play a crucial role in revealing a new range of fast and non-reproducible processes, rendering THz spectroscopy an even more efficient characterization tool to make impactful discoveries in materials physics.