Science
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…
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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