2019 CONSCIENCE

Mourou and Strickland developed a way to boost the intensity and reduce the duration of pulses from a pulsed laser. This method, dubbed “chirped pulse amplification,” will be crucial for technologies that require high intensity light, such as eye surgery and laser-based particle accelerators. The following image was used by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences: Many others have since refined their technique for medical and physics-related applications, and the possibilities are endless. More information can be found at https://www.nobelprize . org/prizes/physics/2018/summary/