Atomic systems, as physical systems, consist of one or more atoms whose dynamics are governed by quantum mechanics, electromagnetic interactions, and, at high energies, relativistic effects. They include isolated atoms, ions, and small aggregates where electronic structure, discrete energy levels, and spin-orbit coupling dominate behavior. Atomic systems serve as model platforms for studying fundamental processes such as spectroscopy, scattering, coherence, and entanglement, and underpin precision measurements including atomic clocks and quantum sensors. Their states are described by many-body wavefunctions or density matrices, with interactions treated via effective Hamiltonians incorporating Coulomb potentials, external fields, and, in dense environments, interatomic forces and decoherence mechanisms.
The next generation of atomic clocks "ticks" with the frequency of a laser. This is about 100,000 times faster than the microwave frequencies of the cesium clocks which are generating the second at present. These optical ...
Optics & Photonics
Jan 17, 2025
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Quiet quitting isn't just for burned out employees. Atoms carrying information inside quantum computers, known as qubits, sometimes vanish silently from their posts. This problematic phenomenon, called atom loss, corrupts ...
Quantum Physics
Dec 18, 2024
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Why are there atomic clocks but no nuclear clocks? After all, an atom's nucleus is typically surrounded by many electrons, so in principle it should be less susceptible to outside noise (in the form of light). A nucleus, ...
Imagine walking into a room where several different grandfather clocks hang on the walls, each ticking at a different pace. Quantum physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 9, 2024
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A team of physicists led by Johannes Zeiher, research group leader in Immanuel Bloch's Quantum Many-Body Systems department and co-founder of the MPQ spin-off planqc, has achieved significant progress in scaling up quantum ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 9, 2024
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Most atoms are made from positively charged protons, neutral neutrons and negatively charged electrons. Positronium is an exotic atom composed of a single negative electron and a positively charged antimatter positron. It ...
General Physics
Sep 11, 2024
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The apparent weirdness of the quantum world is often exemplified by the paradox of Schrödinger's imaginary cat that exists in a limbo state of being both alive and dead until looked upon by an observer. But in the real world ...
Quantum Physics
Sep 9, 2024
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Before quantum computers can solve complex problems, researchers must develop technologies that manage larger numbers of qubits (the building blocks of quantum computers) for extended periods. Neutral atoms play an important ...
Quantum Physics
Sep 6, 2024
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Many quantum devices, from quantum sensors to quantum computers, use ions or charged atoms trapped with electric and magnetic fields as a hardware platform to process information.
Quantum Physics
Aug 22, 2024
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Researchers at Purdue University have trapped alkali atoms (cesium) on an integrated photonic circuit, which behaves like a transistor for photons (the smallest energy unit of light) similar to electronic transistors. These ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 29, 2024
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