The research team of Tsinghua University successfully generated angstrosecond extreme ultraviolet pulse light. The members include Chen Mingzhang (from right), Lai Bowei, Cai Mingxian, Liang Anyuan, and Lin Mingwei.

(Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University)

[Reporter Hong Meixiu/Hsinchu Report] The research team of Chen Mingzhang, an associate professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, and Lin Mingwei, an associate professor of the Institute of Nuclear Engineering, captured the moment in the nanometer world and successfully produced "angstrosecond extreme ultraviolet pulse light", just like a "nano-camera". , can capture clear images of substances as small as 5 nanometers moving at a speed of angstrom seconds (10 minus 18 seconds), and accurately capture the movement of electrons. It can be applied to the design improvement of transistors and memory in the future. Can improve computer and communication speed.

The team has developed high-efficiency pulse compression technology, and is the first team in the world to compress the ytterbium-doped laser to 3000 angstrom seconds; focus this light source on an inert gas, and further generate an extreme ultraviolet pulse light of only 290 angstrom seconds, setting a new record new record.

This innovative achievement has applied for patents in the United States, Europe and Taiwan, and has been published in the top international journal "Science Advances".

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Because electrons are very small and move very fast, it is very difficult to see the dynamics of electrons in the nanometer world.

Chen Mingzhang said that it is like shooting a hummingbird whose wings are vibrating. If the shutter is not fast enough, afterimages will occur, making the wings blurred.

Therefore, the camera in the nanometer world must have the ability to analyze space for extremely small substances, and the ability to analyze time for extremely fast motion.

Chen Mingzhang mentioned that in terms of improving "spatial resolution", the shorter the wavelength of light, the more tiny substances can be seen.

Generally, the wavelength of visible light is between 400 and 760 nanometers. The shortest wavelength of violet light is about 400 nanometers, while the wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the naked eye, is about 10 nanometers, with the best spatial resolution.

In terms of improving time resolution, shorter pulse lasers must be used to increase the shutter speed of the nano-camera.

How to make the time of each pulse laser shorter?

The team developed the original "spread spectrum compression" technology, which first stimulates more new frequency light waves, then aligns the peaks of different frequency light waves and superimposes them at the same time point. After multiple spread spectrum and compression, the pulse time can be gradually shortened. wider and produce higher laser peaks.

With this technique, the width of pulsed light can be compressed from 160,000 Å to 290 Å, with a total compression rate of 550 times.

Chen Mingzhang said that the fastest shutter of a general camera is one-thousandth of a second, and the time required to click the shutter of an angstrom-level camera is only one ten-trillionth of that. In the future, it can be applied to the detection of precise semiconductor nanoscale components. Technology and machines can have better light sources to penetrate materials and analyze tiny structures.

The Tsinghua team developed a frequency compression technology and successfully generated angstrosecond extreme ultraviolet pulsed light.

(Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University)

Tsinghua University angstrom-second extreme ultraviolet pulse light generation and measurement system.

(Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University)

Focusing a 3000 Ås pulse of infrared light onto an inert gas produces a 290 Ås pulse of extreme ultraviolet light.

(Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University)