Laser Precision Unleashes Lightning-Fast Electronics and New Laser Technology

Researchers from FAU, the University of Rostock, and the University of Konstanz have discovered a way to precisely control electron emission from metals by superimposing two laser fields of different strengths and frequencies. This could lead to new quantum mechanical insights and enable electronic circuits that are a million times faster than current technology. The researchers were able to determine the duration of the electron flow to 30 attoseconds, which could advance basic and application-related research. The most important field of application is light-field-driven electronics, which could generate an exactly defined sequence of electron pulses and electrical signals.