Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) have changed the properties of quartz glass into metal using laser pulses.

Scientists explained that quartz glass is a perfect example of an insulator as it does not conduct electric current. But there is a trick, with the help of ultra-short laser pulses, the electronic properties of glass can be altered.

It all depends on the strength of laser pulse, said researchers. If it is strong enough then the electrons in the material can move freely. Under the altered state, the quartz glass becomes opaque and conducts electricity and behaves like metal.

As per researchers, the process of changing material properties is so fast that it can lead to ultra-fast light based electronics. In past few years, ultra-short laser pulses have been put into use to study the quantum effect in atoms or molecules.

An experiment was carried out at the Max-Planck Institute in Garching, Germany. In the experiment, electric current was measured in quartz glass and was illuminated by laser pulse. After the illumination effect was over, the material returned to its original state.

TU Wien researchers have an explanation for it. In collaboration with the Tsukuba University in Japan, researchers stated, "The laser pulse is an extremely strong electric field, which has the power to dramatically change the electronic states in the quartz".

Georg Wachter shared that the pulse is so much powerful that it has the ability to disfigure the complete structure of all the possible electron states in the material. In such a scenario, an electron, which is used to be bound to an oxygen atom in quartz glass, can act as almost a free electron in a metal.

Very strong laser pulses are required to make sure that the current remains for a while even after the pulse fades out.