To promote students' understanding of cutting-edge theories, broaden their innovative horizons, foster interest in learning, and enhance core competencies, Cuiying HonorsCollege has planned and organized the "Nobel Prize Interpretation" lecture series for the 2023-2024 academic year. The first lecture, co-hosted with the School of Physical Science and Technology at Lanzhou University, took place on October 24th at Qinling Hall. Associate Professor Xu Can from the School of Physical Science and Technology delivered a cutting-edge interpretation of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. The lecture was chaired by LvJie, CPC Vice Secretary, and attended by students from related majors.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of attosecond light pulses, a turning point for humanity. As the highest honor in the natural sciences, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to outstanding scientists who used lasers to reveal an invisible world never before perceived by ordinary people. This discovery has been described by official media as a "super-fast shutter for observing the microscopic world."

Professor Xu Can began by introducing the concept of the attosecond, followed by an explanation of photoelectric knowledge, detailing how scientists measured attoseconds and how the application of attoseconds has moved from theory to reality. Through vivid examples, Professor Xu helped students understand that similar to harmonics on a musical instrument, attosecond spectroscopy can create any desired sound using the right combination of harmonics. The challenge now is that the attoseconds humans desire are extremely short, akin to an unprecedented high note that requires very short waves, or very thin strings, to play. Nobel laureate Anne L'Huillier ingeniously used longer-wavelength infrared lasers to induce a large number of reactions through inert gases like neon and argon. When the infrared laser enters the atomic nucleus, electrons are expelled and then pulled back, leading to the "roaring" of electrons with extremely high energy and very short wavelengths. This is the birth of high-order harmonic waves, the foundation of the attosecond spectroscopy edifice. On the cosmic scale of billions of years, the connections between people are fleeting, like mayflies in the grand scheme of the universe, mere specks in the vast ocean. However, if we could freeze and record every moment of our togetherness, in a century, it would amount to innumerable moments. This is the revolutionary potential of the discovery of attoseconds.

This lecture provided students with insight into the forefront of scientific research, introducing the latest advancements in physical science and opening a window for exploring the mysteries of quantum physics. The cutting-edge research methods discussed in the lecture offered new inspiration to the students.

(Translated by ZhengChe, Proofread by ZhengChe)