Three scientists in the US, Germany and Sweden have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. They are being recognized for breakthroughs in the use of very short pulses of light for the study of electrons.

Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier developed ways to examine extremely rapid processes happening inside atoms and molecules.

They pioneered the use of light pulses so short, they're measured by the "attosecond." That's one quintillionth of a second.

Nobel Committee for Physics Chair Eva Olsson said, "They developed methods to measure the duration of the pulses, and they also developed techniques for generation of pulses and for isolated, individual pulses to be used for fundamental research but also future applications."

The committee says they have allowed humanity to open the door to the world of electrons.

Their findings could revolutionize our understanding of how electrons behave in electronics and pave the way for identifying molecules in medical diagnostics.