Did you know that two Nobel Prize laureates are responsible for creating the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever? Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018 for developing chirped pulse amplification (CPA). This groundbreaking technique is the foundation for millions of corrective eye surgeries performed each year.
Their revolutionary work began with a paper published in 1985, which formed the basis of Strickland’s doctoral thesis under Mourou’s supervision. CPA works by stretching laser pulses to reduce their peak power, amplifying them, and then compressing them to achieve ultra-short, high-intensity bursts.
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics also honored Arthur Ashkin for his invention of optical tweezers, which use laser beams to manipulate particles, atoms, and even living cells. Ashkin’s work allows scientists to study biological systems with unprecedented precision.
These advancements have revolutionized laser physics, opening new research avenues and enabling numerous industrial and medical applications.
Manish Verma