China has initiated the construction of a groundbreaking scientific infrastructure aimed at generating attosecond laser pulses, which will help scientists “see” ultrafast particles in the microscopic world. This advancement is set to accelerate research and stimulate the development of high-tech industries.
China Launches The Advanced Attosecond Laser Infrastructure (AALI)
The project, known as the Advanced Attosecond Laser Infrastructure (AALI), is being constructed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The facility will include locations in Dongguan, located in Guangdong Province in southern China, and Xi’an, situated in Shaanxi Province in the northwest.
AALI is a significant venture designed to establish a comprehensive attosecond science facility. The project will feature 10 beamlines that cover extreme ultraviolet, soft X-ray, and terahertz radiation wavelengths. Additionally, it will have 22 research terminals, with the goal of completing the infrastructure within the next five years, according to the Institute of Physics (IOP) of CAS.
What Is China’s Attosecond?
An attosecond is an incredibly brief unit of time, equivalent to one-quintillionth of a second, or 0.000000000000000001 seconds. To put this in perspective, light can travel around the Earth’s equator seven and a half times in just one second. However, in one attosecond, light only travels a distance equivalent to the size of an atom.
This minuscule time frame allows scientists to explore the rapid movements of electrons within atoms and molecules, which occur at extreme speeds. The ability to capture these movements is only possible with pulses of light that are incredibly short, such as the attosecond laser pulses.
China’s Attosecond Laser Technology: A Leap in Science
Attosecond lasers are comparable to a camera flash that lasts billions of billions of times shorter than a second. When scientists observe the motion of electrons with these ultra-short flashes of light, they can see the once-invisible behavior of electrons, slowing down their incessant buzzing to make them observable.
The development of attosecond laser pulses has opened the door to studying the behavior of electrons, leading to exciting new insights in various scientific fields. Scientists hope to discover more novel phenomena at the attosecond scale, advancing both fundamental science and applied technology.
In 2023, three physicists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering work in developing the ability to use ultrashort pulses of light to study this hidden world.
Impact on Science and Technology
The core of physical, chemical, or biological processes lies in the interactions and motions of the microscopic particles that form matter. Among these, the movement of electrons directs the evolution of entire microprocesses, making it a critical focus of microdynamics studies.
Zhao Kun, a researcher at the Institute of Physics and chief engineer for the Dongguan section of AALI, emphasized the importance of electron dynamics in various scientific fields. He stated, “The technology of attosecond laser has provided a groundbreaking tool for the direct measurement of electronic dynamics, offering novel technological means to address significant fundamental scientific issues in physics, chemistry, materials science, information technology, and biomedicine.”
According to Zhao, the advanced research enabled by the AALI facility is expected to lead to significant breakthroughs in fields such as quantum computing, high-temperature superconductivity, and ultrafast magnetic storage. These advancements could revolutionize industries that rely on high-tech applications and research.
China to Shape the Future of High-Tech Industries
Beyond its impact on basic science, the AALI infrastructure is expected to foster the growth of new high-tech industries. This includes ultra-high-capacity communications and computing, as well as advanced laser manufacturing. These sectors are likely to see rapid advancements due to the development of attosecond laser technology, positioning China at the forefront of scientific innovation.
Zhao Kun concluded, “This facility is expected to foster new high-tech industries, such as ultra-high-capacity communications and computing, as well as advanced laser manufacturing.”
