Attosecond chronoscopy - what happens during attosecod-scale delays?

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In summary, while naive description of atomic processes idealizes that they are instant, a decade ago they have started observing attosecond-scale delays. These delays can be used to probe the molecular environment and reveal resonances, electron correlations, and transport phenomena.
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Jarek 31
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TL;DR Summary
Getting beyond idealization of atomic processes as being instant
While naive description of atomic processes idealizes that they are instant, a decade ago they have started observing attosecond-scale delays.
~1000 articles citing 2010 Science "Delay in photoemission" https://scholar.google.pl/scholar?cites=15193546925951882986&as_sdt=2005&sciodt=0,5&hl=en

E.g. 2020 "Probing molecular environment through photoemission delays" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-0887-8
Attosecond chronoscopy has revealed small but measurable delays in photoionization, characterized by the ejection of an electron on absorption of a single photon. Ionization-delay measurements in atomic targets provide a wealth of information about the timing of the photoelectric effect, resonances, electron correlations and transport.
So what happens during such tiny delays - what can we tell about such e.g. electron dynamics leading to creation of EM wave of single optical photon?
 
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Jarek 31 said:
Summary:: Getting beyond idealization of atomic processes as being instant

So what happens during such tiny delays - what can we tell about such e.g. electron dynamics leading to creation of EM wave of single optical photon?
How far does a photon travel in an attosecond? Is the delay simply due to propagation to and from?

Since this is new to me, I was looking for information on "attosecond chronography" and could only find 'old' material. For example, in 2010, there was an announcement of the shortest time measured - 20 attoseconds. Has there been further developments?

https://phys.org/news/2010-06-photoemission-accuracy.html
https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/32261-20-attoseconds-the-shortest-time-ever-recorded

And here I was concerned about femtoseconds.
 
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1. What is attosecond chronoscopy?

Attosecond chronoscopy is a scientific technique used to study very fast processes that occur on the attosecond timescale, which is one quintillionth of a second. It involves using ultrashort laser pulses to capture images of these processes in real time.

2. How is attosecond chronoscopy different from other time-resolved techniques?

Attosecond chronoscopy is unique in its ability to capture images of processes that occur on the attosecond timescale. Other time-resolved techniques, such as femtosecond spectroscopy, are limited to processes that occur on the femtosecond timescale (one quadrillionth of a second).

3. What can be studied using attosecond chronoscopy?

Attosecond chronoscopy can be used to study a wide range of processes, such as electron dynamics in atoms and molecules, chemical reactions, and ultrafast magnetization dynamics. It can also provide insights into the fundamental properties of matter and the behavior of light.

4. How is attosecond chronoscopy performed?

Attosecond chronoscopy involves using a laser system to generate ultrashort laser pulses in the attosecond range. These pulses are then directed at the sample being studied, and the resulting images are captured using specialized detectors. Advanced data analysis techniques are then used to reconstruct the processes occurring on the attosecond timescale.

5. What are the potential applications of attosecond chronoscopy?

Attosecond chronoscopy has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of ultrafast processes and their role in various fields, such as chemistry, biology, and materials science. It could also lead to the development of new technologies, such as ultrafast electronics and data storage devices.

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