Laser Physicists, Including Third Woman Ever, Win Physics Nobel

[Binary_Bark]

he Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded this morning to three researchers for advances in laser physics. Arthur Ashkin, who spent his career at Bell Laboratories, took half of the prize for inventing “optical tweezers,” while Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland split the other half for their work on high-intensity ultra-short laser pulses.

Strickland became the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics since Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963, for her “discoveries concerning nuclear shell structure,” and only the third ever (the other award went to Marie Curie in 1903). “We need to celebrate women physicists because we’re out there,” said Strickland today after being notified of the award, “and maybe in time it will move forward. I’m honored to be one of those women.”

Ashkin, who at 96 is the oldest person ever to receive a Nobel, developed “optical tweezers” while at Bell Laboratories in the 1970s and ’80s. The technique uses lasers to trap and control objects as small as individual atoms, which has aided the study of DNA, viruses, bacteria and living cells. Laser beams trap these small particles by the force of their radiation pressure. At first, Ashkin developed the technique by manipulating small, hard spheres. “The sphere is simultaneously drawn in to the beam axis and accelerated in the direction of the light,” Ashkin wrote in his first paper detailing the observation in 1970.

More At: https://www.quantamagazine.org/donn...and-arthur-ashkin-win-physics-nobel-20181002/

 

[Gordon_R]

I read the story earlier, with big emphasis on the female winner, but didn't realise Ashkin was that old! Sometimes I have to read very carefully to understand exactly what it was awarded for: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45655151

Drs Mourou and Strickland paved the way for the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever created. They developed a technique called Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA). It has found uses in laser therapy targeting cancer and in the millions of corrective laser eye surgeries which are performed each year.

Before Strickland and Mourou's pioneering work, the peak power of laser pulses was limited because, when cranked up to high intensities, they would destroy the material used for amplifying its energy.

To get round this, the researchers first stretched the laser pulses in time to reduce their peak power, then amplified them and finally compressed them.

When a laser pulse is compressed in time and becomes shorter, more light is packed into a small space. This dramatically increases the intensity of the pulse.

Strickland and Mourou's technique, called chirped pulse amplification (CPA), became standard for high intensity lasers.

 

[Ninja'd]

developed “optical tweezers”

I cringed because I instinctively thought tweezers for your eyeballs.

The technique uses lasers to trap and control objects as small as individual atoms, which has aided the study of DNA, viruses, bacteria and living cells.

Cool.

 

[Frequent visitor]

I read the story earlier, with big emphasis on the female winner, but didn't realise Ashkin was that old! Sometimes I have to read very carefully to understand exactly what it was awarded for: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45655151

I am not too clear on the benefits, but have an interest since my wife had laser therapy for breast cancer in 2008, and had laser treatment on her eyes in 2002. The latter was very successful, but not permanent (is anything in medicine?), and the treatment for the breast cancer was also successful, except that it scarred her lung, which later caused difficulties. If this development improves already successful treatment that will be a blessing. Does anyone know how it will benefit these or other treatments?