Nano-Scientists Record Ultra Fast Capture of Films

Researchers at Kiel University have published a paper in the March 9, 2011 edition of Nature that explains about laser’s impact on the electrical properties of solids.

The team comprising Professor Michael Bauer, Professor Lutz Kipp and Dr. Kai Roßnagel at the Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, collaborated with scientists from the Universities of Kaiserslautern and Colorado to track the course of electronic switching processes that take place in femtoseconds. The development can shape future opto-electronic parts to enhance the speed at which data is conveyed.

Bauer informed that the methodology allowed the team to capture films of very fast processes in a condensed way. The team has been able to detect phase changes in solids and even the reactions of catalysts on surfaces. To do this, the Kiel team deployed tiny light flashes in soft x-ray region through a laser system. The volume of data derived from the images that were replayed in slow motion was immense. The team will delve into the electronic characteristics of solids, which could prove useful in both existing and future telecommunication technologies.