"Revolutionizing Imaging with Short and Powerful Laser Pulses for Attosecond Precision"
Physicists at RIKEN have developed a new technique, advanced dual-chirped optical parametric amplification, that has increased the energy of single-cycle laser pulses by a factor of 50, reaching peak powers of 6 terawatts. This breakthrough will advance the development of attosecond lasers, enabling the imaging and probing of ultrafast processes, such as the motion of electrons in atoms and molecules, with potential applications in various fields including biology, materials science, and medical diagnostics. The new method, involving just two crystals, amplifies complementary regions of the spectrum and has the potential to pave the way for even shorter pulses in the future.
