Speeding electronics to light frequencies
1 min read
In two groundbreaking complementary experiments, a collaboration led by physicists from the Laboratory for Attosecond Physics (LAP) at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Physics has demonstrated that, under certain conditions, ultrashort light pulses of extremely high intensity can induce electric currents in otherwise insulating dielectric materials.
The researchers also provided evidence that rapid electrical field oscillations alter the electrical and optical properties of the material instantly and that these changes can be reversed on a femtosecond basis. The researchers says this opens the door for petaHertz signal processing rates – 10,000 times faster than possible with today's fastest devices.
Materials can be grouped in three categories according to their electric properties: metals; semiconductors; and dielectrics. The researchers, led by Prof Ferenc Krausz, focused on how the latter group of materials would respond to very high and (usually) destructive fields that act on them for an instant.
In the first experiment, the scientists investigated whether intense laser pulses would cause dielectrics to conduct electric currents. A second experiment explored the underlying electronic processes.
According to Prof Krausz: "We hope these results provide motivation for other groups worldwide to join us in exploring and exploiting the potential wide gap materials may offer for speeding electronics."
