Atomic and molecular processes in external fields is a research area that investigates how atoms and molecules respond to applied electromagnetic, static electric, magnetic, or intense laser fields, with emphasis on modifications of their electronic structure, energy levels, transition probabilities, and reaction dynamics. It encompasses phenomena such as Stark and Zeeman effects, field-induced ionization and dissociation, alignment and orientation of molecules, and coherence and control of quantum states. The field integrates quantum mechanics, scattering theory, and time-dependent many-body methods to model interactions and is central to high-field physics, ultrafast spectroscopy, quantum control, and precision measurements in atomic, molecular, and optical science.
Researchers used the European XFEL to create X-ray flashes that were not only extremely short but also reached record intensity for this type of pulse. The researchers focused the X-rays to an area roughly 100,000 times smaller ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 16, 2026
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Materials that change their shape upon exposure to light are attracting growing interest in applications such as soft robotics, microscale actuators and smart materials. However, the connection between molecular-level structural ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 16, 2026
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Using an advanced new mathematical model, a pair of physicists in Belgium has revealed the origins of an unusual, direction-dependent effect found in water confined to a narrow gap between two plates. Through research published ...
A faster way of finding the best diamond-based materials for quantum computers has been developed by a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The new approach has already ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 13, 2026
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A concept from the field of quantum mechanics, spin is a property of particles that has no direct counterpart in everyday experience. Since the early 20th century, researchers have learned to manipulate it deliberately by ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 13, 2026
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Molecules can be placed in a wide variety of quantum states. How can these states be distinguished in measurements when theoretical models are unreliable? Which excitation process lies behind which measurement signal?
Quantum Physics
Oct 8, 2026
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In recent experiments involving hydrogels and water droplets, researchers have proposed that exposure to visible light could make water evaporate faster without heating it. However, direct evidence that light acts on water ...
By superimposing two ultrashort laser pulses that converge from different directions, a team of physicists at the University of Oldenburg has succeeded in generating three-dimensional light fields.
Optics & Photonics
Sep 30, 2026
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An international team of physicists has developed a new method for determining the precise color of laser light using an image that rotates as the laser's frequency shifts.
Optics & Photonics
Sep 29, 2026
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Lithium, magnesium, potassium and many other ions usually occur together in natural and industrial solutions. Separating them from one another is a challenge, for example, in the extraction and processing of raw materials.
Nanophysics
Sep 28, 2026
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