Fastest ever view of molecular motion!

[yazooo]

Scientists have made the fastest ever observations of motion in a molecule.

They "watched" parts of a molecule moving on an attosecond timescale - where one attosecond equals one billion-billionth of a second.

The researchers say the study gives a new in-depth understanding of chemical processes and could be used in future technologies such as quantum computing.

The study, which relies on short pulses of light from a specially built laser, was published in the journal Science.

"Understanding how something changes in time means really understanding its essence, and we are now looking at changes on a very, very fast timescale," said team member Dr John Tisch, of Imperial College London, UK.

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4766842.stm

P.S. A by the by - This is my group at uni where I am doing my PhD...;)

 

[Channel Hopper]

Are going to overclock the bugger ?

 

[yazooo]

Lol, overclock the laser? If so, then yeah, I am trying to. Building a laser which hopefully will be 2 femtoseconds faster with some more power!

 

[spiney]

How to do it yourself at home .....

see: www.npl.co.uk/quantum/john_marangos.pdf .

 

[stealthpirate]

It's amazing what we humans can achieve.........
Yet citylink can't even deliver a parcel on the designated day !

 

[spiney]

Unfortunately, the actual article in Science is only online if you have access permission, otherwise there's copies in libraries ......

But here's a bit more:

http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/documentation/pressReleases/2006/pressRelease20060306/ .

Here's the press release: www.ic.ac.uk/P7535.htm .

 

[yazooo]

I'm sure I could get you a copy if you're interested spiney, shame science don't make em free. If I get the new laser working by october ish, should have some new results that should be very nice, and a bit faster than the laser used for that experiment.

 

[spiney]

Er, thanks for the offer Yazoo, but no I'm not really that interested.

Just naively thought the paper would be in in the printed journal, the impression given by BBC article, in fact Science Express is online only!

Anyway, good luck with the Phd, no doubt the final examination session is nerve wracking, but hopefully a formality, all the work having been done!

Then, an academic career? Or, maybe you'll call yourself "Dr Fastlaser" and wear special dark glasses!