French scientist Pierre Agostini, winner of the Nobel prize of physics 2023, “regrets” having been forced to retire in France around twenty years ago, when he was “still full of energy”, and to leave for the United States to continue to to work. This specialist in science attosecond – a billionth of a billionth of a second – was more than surprised to be awarded the most prestigious award on Tuesday, alongside the Franco-Swedish Anne L’Huillier and the Austro-Hungarian Ferenc Krausz.
“I learned about it from my daughter,” said Pierre Agostini, 82, who returned to live in France on Thursday. Shortly after the Nobel announcement in Stockholm, Tuesday midday, “she called me to ask me if it was true that I had received it! » “At first it was a surprise, I didn’t really believe it. I ended up believing it when a member of the Nobel committee called me in the afternoon,” said the scientist with the false air of Einstein, in jeans, sneakers and a James Webb space telescope t-shirt, during an interview with AFP in his Parisian apartment.
What will his Nobel Prize change? “I’m going to do a lot of traveling in the coming year,” he responds modestly. “I’ll already have to go to Stockholm for the award ceremony in December, and maybe even before that, celebrate in Ohio. »
It is in fact to UNITED STATES that the physicist ended his career, as a professor in the physics department of the Ohio State University. But he spent most of his career in France, at the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission). It was there that, in 2002, he carried out a decisive experiment to probe the ultrafast dynamics of electrons. At that time, he was not tempted to go to the United States since it was Europe that was “at the center of this research”.
“Heartache to leave”
But at age 61, he retired. “If we had enough years of contributions, we left, certainly with a bonus, but we still left. I received a letter saying ‘thank you and goodbye’. We had no choice at the time – now we can stay until 70 years old. » “I regretted it a lot because I was still full of energy. I had everything I needed in France, access to cutting-edge equipment and experiences… It hurt my heart to have to leave. »
He tried to join the CNRS, worked there for a few months, but quickly stopped due to “administrative difficulties”. He then left France and went to “work out” at Laval University in Quebec, the Netherlands, Germany… And ended up finding, in 2005, a position at the University of Ohio thanks to a ” buddy teacher.” “There, things were very easy, there were no administrative problems. They managed to get a green card… I am very grateful to them. » Pierre Agostini taught there for a dozen years, before retiring in 2017 and returning to France. But as professor emeritus, he still has his office in Ohio, and continues to follow students’ work there.
He hopes that his Nobel will “motivate students” and boost research so that his specialty, ultra-rapid science, leads to applications, particularly in medicine. The Graal ? Make it even shorter than the attosecond (10 to the power of -18 seconds). “The absolute limit being 10 to the power of -43, the inverse of the total energy of the Universe. »