Chinese physicists achieve 20x laser interaction boost without extra power using quantum tech

Researchers at East China Normal University led by Jian Wu reported in Nature that quantum light can strongly amplify ultrafast laser interactions.

Using bright squeezed vacuum, they boosted tunneling ionization in sodium atoms by more than 20 times versus a conventional pulse with the same average energy.

The key was engineering photon statistics, not increasing total power, showing a new way to enhance nonlinear optics.

The result could help attosecond science and imaging achieve stronger effects with less energy and less sample damage.