NEW WAY FOUND TO COOL ATOMS AND MOLECULES
Date: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 @ 20:37:50 UTC
Topic: Science
NEW WAY FOUND TO COOL ATOMS AND MOLECULES, August 09 (PhysOrg.com)
Physicists at The University of Texas say they've found a new technique for cooling atoms and molecules, allowing more effective quantum physics studies.
The researchers report finding a way to use lasers to form walls that allow atoms and molecules to pass through in one direction, but do not allow them to return.
"The beauty of the one-way atomic wall," Raizen said, "is that there is almost no increase in kinetic energy."
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With no increase in kinetic energy comes no increase in heat. By expanding and contracting the space holding the trapped atoms and molecules, the temperature can be lowered to near absolute zero...
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news5692.html
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