Physicists snap the first images of ‘free-range’ atoms

MIT physicists have captured the first images of individual atoms freely interacting in space. The pictures reveal correlations among the “free-range” particles that until now were predicted but never directly observed. Their findings, published today in the journal Physical Review Letters, will help scientists visualize never-before-seen quantum phenomena in real space.Quantum Physics NewsRead More

Hours-long continuous lasing achieved using laser-cooled strontium atoms

Laser-cooled atomic gases, gases of atoms chilled to temperatures around absolute zero using laser technologies, have proved to be versatile physical platforms to study and control quantum phenomena. When these atomic gases interact with light inside an optical cavity (i.e., a structure designed to trap and enhance light), they can give rise to effects that