The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2023 was awarded on Tuesday, to Pierre Augstin (France), Ferenc Krausz (Hungary-Austria), and Anne L’Huillier (France-Sweden). The Nobel Committee recognized their groundbreaking work in the field of attosecond physics, which involves studying extremely fast processes in the realm of atoms and molecules.
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics continues the tradition of honoring outstanding contributions to our understanding of the fundamental forces and particles that govern the universe. Augstin, Krausz, and L’Huillier’s work in the field of attosecond physics has opened new avenues for studying the behavior of matter on the smallest timescales ever observed, enabling scientists to probe the dynamics of electrons within atoms and molecules with unprecedented precision.
The Nobel Committee’s decision highlights the importance of fundamental research in pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and advancing our understanding of the natural world.
The Nobel season in Stockholm continues on Wednesday with the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, followed by the eagerly awaited Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The season will conclude next Monday with the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Alain Aspect (France) and John Clauser (USA) for their groundbreaking experiments confirming the violation of Bell inequalities and their pioneering work in quantum entanglement.
In 2021, the Nobel Prize in Physics was shared by Syukuro Manabe (USA) and Klaus Hasselmann (Germany) for their revolutionary contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems.
In 2020, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Roger Penrose (UK), Reinhard Genzel (Germany), and Andrea Ghez (USA) for their discoveries related to black holes, confirming predictions of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
The Nobel Prize comes with a cash award, with this year’s prize amounting to 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately 980,000 US dollars), making it the highest nominal value in the history of the Nobel Prizes, which have been awarded for over a century.