Cooling and trapping is a set of experimental techniques used to reduce the kinetic energy of particles, typically atoms or ions, and confine them spatially for precision measurements and quantum control. Laser cooling methods, such as Doppler and sub-Doppler cooling, use resonant light to induce momentum exchange that lowers atomic velocities, while magneto-optical traps (MOTs) combine inhomogeneous magnetic fields with polarized light to provide both cooling and restoring forces. Additional mechanisms, including evaporative cooling and optical or electromagnetic trapping potentials, further reduce temperatures toward the quantum degenerate regime, enabling studies of ultracold gases, atomic clocks, quantum simulation, and controlled quantum information processing.
Researchers will soon be able to study biological changes at scales and speeds not previously possible to significantly expand knowledge in areas such as disease progression and drug delivery.
Optics & Photonics
Mar 20, 2025
0
29
In a new Nature Communications study, scientists have demonstrated the quantum version of the strong Mpemba effect (sME) in a single trapped ion system.
Molecules haven't been used in quantum computing, even though they have the potential to make the ultra-high-speed experimental technology even faster. Their rich internal structures were seen as too complicated, too delicate, ...
Quantum Physics
Jan 21, 2025
0
436
Optical tweezers and related techniques provide extraordinary opportunities for research and applications in the physical, biological, and medical fields. However, certain requirements such as high-intensity laser beams, ...
Optics & Photonics
Dec 27, 2024
0
32
A research group led by Prof. Yao Baoli and Dr. Xu Xiaohao from Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics (XIOPM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have revealed a full-gray optical trap in structured light, which ...
Optics & Photonics
Dec 24, 2024
0
94
A team led by Francesca Ferlaino has set a new milestone in atomic physics by trapping individual erbium atoms in optical tweezers for the first time. Taking advantage of erbium's complex electronic structure, which opens ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 27, 2024
0
57
Cooling systems are an integral part of many modern technologies, as heat tends to wear down materials and decrease performance in several ways. In many cases, however, cooling can be an inconvenient and energy-intensive ...
Nanophysics
Nov 26, 2024
0
77
Cooling atomic gases to the quantum regime often involves time-consuming steps. Electromagnetically induced transparency now achieves quantum degeneracy with high efficiency.
Quantum Physics
Nov 18, 2024
0
136
A team led by Prof. Lu Zhengtian and Researcher Xia Tian from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) realized a Schrödinger-cat state with minute-scale lifetime using optically trapped cold atoms, significantly ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 18, 2024
1
272
An experimental setup built at the Technion Faculty of Physics demonstrates the transfer of atoms from one place to another through quantum tunneling between optical tweezers. Led by Prof. Yoav Sagi and doctoral student Yanay ...
Quantum Physics
Nov 11, 2024
0
120
