Scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for their “experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prestigious prize, which now comes with a cash award of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1 million), is considered one of the highest honors for scientists worldwide.
The Nobel Prize in Physics is the second award to be presented this week, following the Medicine Prize given to Hungarian scientist Katalin Kariko and her U.S. colleague Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking discoveries on mRNA molecules that laid the foundation for COVID-19 vaccines.
Established in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, the Nobel Prizes have been awarded since 1901 to recognize exceptional achievements in various fields, including science, literature, and peace. Over the years, the physics prize has attracted significant attention, with notable winners like Albert Einstein, and it has consistently acknowledged scientific breakthroughs that have profoundly transformed our understanding of the world.
In the previous year, Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on quantum entanglement, a phenomenon that Einstein himself found perplexing and referred to as “spooky action at a distance.” This year’s physics prize announcement will be followed by announcements for chemistry, literature, peace, and economics, the latter being a later addition to the original categories.
(Note: This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)