Single mathematical model helps solve a decades-old puzzle involving ultrafast lasers

A team of international researchers, including an Aston University researcher, has cracked the code on how "breather" laser pulses work, creating a single mathematical model that explains two completely different laser behaviors for the first time. Ultrafast lasers emit extremely short pulses of light, lasting only picoseconds or femtoseconds, making them essential for applications ranging from eye surgery and biomedical imaging to precision materials processing and advanced manufacturing.