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.
A new graph-theoretic framework provides a unified description of atom-light interactions across regimes ranging from weak to deep-strong coupling.
Optics & Photonics
Sep 28, 2026
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187
Take a second and turn it into trillions of moments. Measure each one. That's how precisely an atomic clock at Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) keeps time—and with record-setting accuracy, according to results ...
General Physics
Sep 23, 2026
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1022
Ultrashort laser pulses can be used to generate X-rays. Normally, however, only certain specific frequencies are produced. A team from TU Wien and the University of California San Diego has developed a method that makes it ...
Optics & Photonics
Sep 21, 2026
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30
Molecular gases are a new form of artificial quantum matter. However, when these molecules collide, they are often lost extremely rapidly. Researchers from Radboud University and Columbia University have been able to suppress ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 18, 2026
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36
Quantum technologies are poised to transform fields ranging from medicine and sensing to computing and communications by manipulating the energy states of atoms and molecules. These manipulations are achieved by controlling ...
General Physics
Sep 10, 2026
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34
A research team at the University of Vienna led by physicist Jani Kotakoski demonstrates how the shape of nanopores in hexagonal boron nitride—the electrically insulating counterpart to graphene, also known as "white graphene"—can ...
Nanophysics
Sep 10, 2026
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34
The hidden world of quantum mechanics exists at scales many orders of magnitude smaller than living organisms, yet scientists have long theorized that quantum effects play an important role in biology. Birds' ability to sense ...
Quantum Physics
Sep 3, 2026
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23
Despite all the advertisements for engagement rings and necklace gifts, natural diamonds are imperfect. Their carbon atoms are arranged in a cubic lattice, but they nonetheless contain several types of crystallographic defects ...
Table tennis professionals are true masters at redirecting fast-moving projectiles. Putting a targeted spin on a serve can make the little white ball fly straight toward the edge of the table but then, at the last moment, ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 27, 2026
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147
Researchers from the MPIK in Heidelberg used an atomic gas as a time-dependent lens to shape and spectrally manipulate intense high-frequency laser pulses. This gas-based optical element could pave the way toward better XUV- ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 20, 2026
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35
