PULSE Vol. 6: Crossing Borders

In this issue, we explore concepts for generational spaceships developed by architects, social scientists, and engineers around the world. Such vessels could one day enable journeys to neighboring solar systems across many generations. Achieving this will require leaving our comfort zones, embracing new ideas, drawing on collective strengths, and overcoming established boundaries.

Pushing boundaries has always been one of physics’ defining qualities. While bound by the laws of nature, the limits of what is physically possible are far from exhausted. A striking example is the generation of attosecond light pulses in 2001. Nearly a quarter century later, this breakthrough has enabled unprecedented insights into intra-atomic processes and pushed imaging to the atomic scale. In recognition of its profound impact, attosecond science was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023, honoring, among others, its pioneer Ferenc Krausz.

Physics is never a one-way street. Attosecond technology has also found applications beyond fundamental research. The A T T O W O R L D team employs laser-based methods not only to explore the microcosm, but also for infrared spectroscopy of molecules in blood. The aim is to develop a cost-effective diagnostic and early-detection tool for diseases such as cancer and diabetes—ultimately requiring only a single drop of blood.

What began as a visionary idea has since evolved into a global initiative, including large-scale studies and the protecting.health project. Its goal is to establish worldwide cooperation for an affordable health-screening approach that works across age groups, ethnicities, and countries, combining advanced physical technologies with artificial intelligence.

This issue of pulse reflects the same spirit of exploration. Alongside scientific highlights from our researchers and alumni, it presents visionary projects and international collaborations, as well as the social engagement of the aid organization Science4People. Marking the centenary of quantum mechanics, the issue also explores its influence beyond science, with contributions examining its impact on abstraction in the arts and a featured scientific measurement image presented in an artistic context. Educational insights from PhotonLab, the attoworld student laboratory, together with personal perspectives from our team, complete this snapshot of the attoworld community today.

And who knows—perhaps future generational spaceships will one day carry compact laser systems that monitor the health of their crews as they journey through the vastness of the universe.

The online-version can be found here for Download