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When Atoms Behave as Waves: Bose–Einstein Condensation and the Atom Laser (Nobel Lecture)
Author(s) -
Ketterle Wolfgang
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/1439-7641(20020916)3:9<736::aid-cphc736>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - atom (system on chip) , bose–einstein condensate , atomic physics , physics , laser , atom laser , trapping , condensation , energetic neutral atom , ultracold atom , einstein , ion , quantum mechanics , quantum , computer science , embedded system , thermodynamics , ecology , biology
Atom plus atom equals… vacuum! The destructive interference of atoms is just one of the surprising effects of coherent atoms. The long and winding road from trapping atoms to the atomic laser, passing the peak of the Bose – Einstein condensate, won Ketterle a share in the 2001 Nobel Prize for Physics. The graphic shows pulses of coherent sodium atoms (each containing 10 5 – 10 6 atoms produced every 5 ms) falling under gravity and expanding due to mutual interatomic repulsion.