The system uses a mid-infrared laser to generate "soft" X-ray pulses with an extremely large spectral bandwidth. Previous attosecond-level pulses revolved around titanium-sapphire lasers, which limited the potential photon energy and effectively ruled out studying large chunks of the periodic table.

ETH's breakthrough could significantly improve our understanding of how electrons behave, but there are also some practical benefits. You could see more efficient solar panels as scientists learn which materials and methods excite electrons the most. You can also use these laser pulses to change reactions -- imaging stopping or slowing a natural reaction by zapping a molecule at just the right moment. Researchers expect to produce even shorter pulses going forward, too, so they're expecting more detailed observation that covers more elements.