Two laser flashes met – and revealed a phenomenon that only existed in theory

Researchers at the University of Oldenburg in Germany have created a three-dimensional light field by crossing two ultra-short laser flashes. The method allowed them to examine electron states that were known from theory but difficult to expose in experiments. In the future, the development may help identify mirror-image molecules, which are important in drug development.

Researchers at the University of Oldenburg in Germany have developed a new method for controlling light in three dimensions, using the intersection of two ultra-short laser flashes. The method creates a light field with a three-dimensional structure, unlike a regular light beam where the electric field is limited to certain directions. The researchers directed the field at potassium atoms, causing electrons to transition to higher energy states and be released. By measuring how the electrons were emitted, the team obtained information about electronic states that were difficult to examine with previous methods. The technique resembles ultra-fast photography, where a series of measurements at tiny time intervals composes an image of the changes in the electrons. In the future, the development may help identify mirror-image molecules – molecules with a similar structure but different effects in the body, an issue important in drug development. However, at this stage it is a research tool and future potential, not a technology already in use.