Using lasers to see the shape of molecules
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - 07:30
in Physics & Chemistry
A scientist in a crisp, white lab coat and protective eye goggles sits behind a safety shield, controller in hand. In front of him is a powerful titanium-sapphire laser, aimed at a crystal lens. His thumb gently squeezes the trigger on the controller. There is an imperceivable wisp of gas that is escaping from a nozzle and crossing the laser's path. Before he can even blink his eye the laser is capable of firing more than a trillion times. On the screen a line of alternating pairs of glowing, amorphous spots appear. For the first time ever, someone has been able to peer down into the molecular level to observe simultaneously in two dimensions.