Quantum Light Source Matches Conventional Laser Performance in Ionization Test

Researchers demonstrated that a quantum light source can generate ionization comparable to a classical laser with 20 times higher intensity. The result was reported in a study published in Nature. Attosecond light pulses last for quintillionths of a second and are typically created using high-intensity lasers. The new source achieved the first step in the process of producing such pulses.

Jiang et al. showed that the quantum light source behaves like a classical laser of greater intensity. The team used the source to initiate atomic ionization, a necessary precursor for attosecond pulse generation. The work builds on prior research into squeezed vacuum states and nonlinear atomic interactions.

It provides a new approach for probing matter on extremely short timescales. 1038/s41586-026-10485-9.