Bringing atoms to a standstill: Researchers miniaturize laser cooling – Phys.org

It’s cool to be small. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have miniaturized the optical components required to cool atoms down to a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero, the first step in employing them on microchips to drive a new generation of super-accurate atomic clocks, enable navigation without GPS, and simulate quantum systems.
Cooling atoms is equivalent to slowing them down, which makes them a lot easier to study. At room temperature, atoms…

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