The new laser system, named LWS100 (Light Wave Synthesizer 100), developed at Umea University in Sweden, delivers ultra-short light pulses lasting less than 4.3 femtoseconds (a femtosecond is one millionth of a billionth of a second) with peak powers reaching 100 terawatts—equivalent to the combined power output of over a thousand nuclear reactors, but delivered in a flash shorter than a heartbeat. What makes this system truly unique is its ability to precisely control the shape of the light wave itself, a feature known as waveform control, with unmatched stability.
By combining light from different colors (wavelengths) in a carefully synchronized way—a technique called coherent field synthesis—the team created a laser pulse that spans a broad spectrum from visible to near-infrared. When focused, these pulses reach intensities over 10²¹ watts per square centimeter, opening the door to entirely new types of experiments in plasma physics and ultrafast science.
Subhendu Kahaly
This laser is not just a technical marvel—it’s a powerful tool for exploring the frontiers of physics. It will enable scientists to generate attosecond bursts of electrons and X-rays, allowing them to observe and control the motion of electrons inside atoms and materials in real time.
“This is a major step forward in our ability to study nature at its most fundamental level. With LWS100, we’re entering a new era of precision light-matter interaction.” said Dr. Subhendu Kahaly, a leading scientist and Head of Secondary Source Division at ELI ALPS and a member of the collaborative research team.
Two of the 12 authors of the study are researchers at ELI ALPS. Our co-authors contributed by conducting hundreds of measurements and analyses focused on a key characteristic of the laser system: its pulse duration. These efforts confirmed that the laser operates in the sub-two-cycle regime. The data collected also enabled fine-tuning of the laser to consistently achieve this performance.
Gergely Norbert Nagy
“To carry out these measurements, we used the TIPTOE technique—tunneling ionization with a perturbation for time-domain observation of the electric field,” explained Dr. Subhendu Kahaly. “The diagnostic setup was transported to Sweden under the IMPULSE project, where the measurements were performed. Both IMPULSE and GINOP are acknowledged in the publication.”