Powerful Lasers Reveal How Matter Becomes Plasma in Trillionths of a Second

HZDR researchers used the European XFEL and a high-intensity optical laser to watch a copper wire turn into plasma in real time.

They observed Cu²²⁺ ions forming within picoseconds, peaking at about 2.5 picoseconds, and then fading as recombination began.

The laser/X-ray pump-probe method offers a new way to track ultrafast ionization, with implications for fusion diagnostics and extreme-matter research.