October 3, 2023 is an unforgettable date in the history of Hungarian science, as Ferenc Krauss received the Nobel Prize just one year ago. The Hungarian physicist received the award for his pioneering research in the world of attosecond physics. What made this anniversary special was the fact that another Hungarian, Katalin Karekó, had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine the previous day.
Ferenc Kraus's Nobel Prize holds a special place in the history of Hungarian science, as he received the recognition just one day after Katalin Karikó received the Nobel Prize. Catalin Carrico played a key role in the development of mRNA technology, which has revolutionized vaccine development and led to one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in the battle against Covid-19.
The day Katalin Carrico received the Nobel Prize
October 2, 2023 is a milestone in the history of Hungarian science. One year ago today, Katalin Carrico and Drew Weisman received the Nobel Prize.
Ferenc Krausz was born on May 17, 1962 in Mur. He was interested in science since childhood, and his exceptional talent appeared at an early age.
In 1985, he graduated from the Physics Department of ELTE and received a diploma in electrical engineering from the University of Technology.
He obtained his doctorate from the Vienna University of Technology in 1991, which was a milestone in his scientific career. After receiving his doctorate, Ferenc Kraus built an international career, using his research to find answers to questions that fundamentally changed the understanding of the interaction between light and matter. He constantly attempted to measure the smallest time units of light, which eventually made him a pioneer in atomic physics.
Ferenc Krausz's research group was the first to produce and measure an attosecond pulse of light and use it to map the movement of electrons within an atom, leading to the founding of the science of atomic physics. It was impossible to precisely observe the rapid movement of electrons by conventional means, but Ferenc Krausz and his team used a new technique to create short pulses of light billions of times shorter than one second.
With these pulses, it was possible to “photograph” the movement of electrons, as if they were taking pictures with a high-speed camera.
A totosecond means a trillionth of a billionth of a time, so it is an unimaginably short unit of time. By measuring these short time intervals, Ferenc Krausz and his colleagues were able to visualize the movement of electrons within atoms.
This discovery is not only important for physicists, but also has applications in everyday life:
- It can promote the development of faster and more efficient devices such as smartphones and computers,
- It can enable more precise and safer laser surgeries, such as eye surgeries,
- It can contribute to the development of more effective medicines and environmentally friendly industrial technologies,
- With the help of new diagnostic tools, you can give a more accurate picture of diseases,
- It can improve the energy efficiency of solar cells and batteries, promoting the development of sustainable technologies.
In 2023, Ferenc Kraus's work was also recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physics, which the scientific community considered long-deserved. He was awarded the prize for the creation of attosecond optical pulses and for his achievements in studying the behavior of electrons. This discovery revolutionized quantum physics and radically changed the way scientists study matter and light.
From 1 October 2024, Nobel Prize-winning physics professor Ferenc Krausz will work to promote Hungarian scientific life as Chief Advisor for Science Policy, after accepting the invitation of Balázs Hankó, Minister Responsible for Culture and Innovation. Ferenc Kraus has been elected Person of the Year by the public media in 2023.
A wall decorated with photos of Hungarian Nobel laureates Katalin Karekó and Ferenc Kraus on July 17, 2024 on Weselényi Street, Budapest, on the day of the ceremony. Nobel Prize-winning biologist and biochemist Katalin Karikó and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ferenc Kraus, executive director of the CMF, received the award in December 2023 (Photo: MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry)The technology developed by Ferenc Kraus has opened new dimensions of scientific research, and will continue to have a major impact on quantum physics, the study of chemical reactions, and the development of many industries.
On the occasion of the anniversary, it is worth looking at Krausz's life, which shows an example of perseverance and commitment to science, and the fact that Hungarian science is also capable of achieving serious results at the global level.
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Featured image: Nobel Prize-winning scientists Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz (Image: MTI)
