Observing the Coherent Motion of Electrons with an Attosecond Stopwatch
Department of Energy, Office of ScienceElectrons can display interference effects like waves in the ocean, but this happens on extremely fast time scales. In this study, scientists observed the quantum mechanical motion of electrons in an excited molecule using an “attoclock,” which measures electron motion with a precision of hundreds of attoseconds. The experiment advances the study of electron dynamics and will improve understanding of molecular physics and quantum chemistry.