Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 awarded to scientists who made ‘impossible’ breakthrough
Technique could make it possible to detect cancers at a very early stage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three scientists for discovering a way to study the world at a level previously thought impossible.
The Nobel Assembly announced that Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier would receive the 2023 prize of 11 million Swedish krona (£824,000) for creating extremely short “attosecond” pulses of light in order to study the inside of atoms.
Applications for the research include molecular fingerprinting, which could lead to ways to detect cancers at a very early stage.
“We can now open the door to the world of electrons,” said Eva Olsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, during a ceremony in Stockholm on Tuesday.
“Attosecond [one millionth of a trillionth of a second] physics gives us the opportunity to understand mechanisms that are governed by electrons. The next step will be utilising them.”
She added that the laureates’ contributions “have enabled the investigation of processes that are so rapid they were previously impossible to follow”.
Professor Anne L’Huillier from Lund University in Sweden becomes only the fifth woman to ever win the Nobel Prize in Physics in its 122 year history.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “There are not so many women that get this prize - so it’s very, very special.”
The award comes a day after the Nobel Assembly awarded Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.”
The awards for chemistry, literature, peace and economics are set to be announced between Wednesday, 4 October, and Monday, 9 October.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments