Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 Awarded to Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini for Groundbreaking Work Initiated and Conducted at CEA
Physicists Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering research on attosecond physics, work that was both initiated and carried out at France's Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA). Their experiments, which began at the CEA's fundamental research laboratories, successfully generated and measured ultra-short light pulses on the attosecond timescale (one quintillionth of a second), enabling the direct observation of electron dynamics within atoms and molecules. This foundational research, conducted in collaboration with international teams, has opened an entirely new field of study in ultrafast science, with profound implications for understanding chemical reactions and material properties at the most fundamental level. The Nobel committee's recognition underscores the CEA's historic role as a leading center for cutting-edge fundamental physics.