Anne L’Huillier was in Nantes on Monday 30 March 2026 to give a lecture organised by the Université Permanente at Nantes Université. Winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, alongside Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz, she was recognised for the development of experimental methods enabling the generation of attosecond light pulses and the study of electron dynamics in matter. During this lecture, Anne L’Huillier reviewed the emergence of attosecond science, from the first experimental sources to current applications, which enable the observation and understanding of electronic movements in matter.
In practical terms, when atoms in a gaseous state are subjected to intense laser radiation, they can emit extremely brief light pulses, on the order of a few hundred attoseconds — that is, one billionth of a billionth of a second — in the extreme ultraviolet region. These pulses offer unprecedented temporal resolution and provide a unique window into the electronic dynamics within atoms and molecules.
Following the lecture, Morgane Vacher’s group had the privilege of speaking with Anne L’Huillier. This provided an opportunity for members of the CEISAM laboratory, who are conducting theoretical research into the applications of attosecond pulses in the field of chemistry, to ask questions and discuss their work.
