Electric pulses pack a punch

Ever since Rutherford and Bohr introduced the idea of electrons orbiting an atomic core, physicists have been interested in the behaviour of atoms that have an electron in a highly excited orbit. These socalled Rydberg atoms have been studied for decades, but recent advances in producing so-called half-cycle electrical pulses have opened a new era in this field. Rydberg atoms can be prepared and observed, and now the Rydberg electron can even be "kicked" in any direction as it orbits the atomic core. Three recent experiments have provided important new insights into the control of Rydberg electrons.