ETH researchers succeeded in shortening the pulse duration of an X‑ray laser to only 43 attoseconds. With a time resolution in the range of a few quintillionths of a second, they are now able for the first time to observe the movement of electrons during chemical reactions in slow motion.
Starting from an infrared laser, the researchers generate a soft X-ray laser pulse with a very large spectral bandwidth and a record-short pulse duration. As a result, various elements including phosphorus and sulphur can be directly observed by exciting their inner-shell electrons. Both elements are present in biomolecules, and it is now possible to observe them with unprecedented time resolution.

Reference: Gaumnitz, T., A. Jain, Y. Pertot, M. Huppert, I. Jordan, F. Ardana-Lamas and H. J. Wörner (2017). Streaking of 43-attosecond soft-X-ray pulses generated by a passively CEP-stable mid-infrared driver. Optics Express 25: 27506-27518. (10.1364/OE.25.027506).

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