May 3, 2024
MIT physicists achieve record-breaking proximity of atoms
Posted by Gemechu Taye in categories: particle physics, quantum physics
The experiment confirmed their suspicions. By supercooling the dysprosium atoms, splitting them into spin-based layers with the lasers, and stabilizing the lasers with the optical fiber, they successfully achieved a 50-nanometer separation – the closest arrangement ever achieved in ultracold atom experiments.
This dramatic proximity significantly amplified the natural magnetic interactions between the atoms, making them a thousand times stronger than at 500 nanometers. The team observed two fascinating quantum phenomena: collective oscillation, where vibrations in one layer triggered synchronized vibrations in the other, and thermalization, where heat transfer occurred between the layers solely through fluctuating magnetic fields within the atoms.