Beyond Einstein: Attosecond X-Ray Pulses Unlock the Secrets of the Photoelectric Effect

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A team of scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has uncovered new information about the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon first described by Einstein over a century ago. Their method provides a new tool to study electron-electron interactions, which are fundamental to many technologies, including semiconductors and solar cells. The results were published on August 21 in the journal Nature.

When an atom or molecule absorbs a photon of light, it can emit an electron in a process known as the photoelectric effect. Einstein's description of the photoelectric effect, also known as photoionization, laid the theoretical foundation for quantum mechanics. However, the instantaneous nature of this effect has been a topic of intense study and debate. Recent advancements in attosecond science have provided the tools necessary to resolve the ultrafast time delays involved in photoionization.

Einstein won the Nobel Prize for describing the photoelectric effect, but a hundred years later, we've only just begun to truly understand the underlying dynamics," said lead author and SLAC scientist Taran Driver. Our work marks a significant step forward by measuring these delays in the X-ray domain, a feat that has not been achieved before."

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