Light Pulse Transforms Insulators to Metals in 100 Femtoseconds

Scientists have achieved a groundbreaking transformation of vanadium oxide from an insulator to a metal in just 100 femtoseconds using light pulses, without generating heat. This discovery, led by an international team and published in Nature Physics, could revolutionize electronics by enabling faster, more energy-efficient devices. The process involves deformation waves that alter the material's structure at a molecular level, offering new possibilities for quantum technologies and AI.