US government researchers design new Atomic Laser

1999/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

A team of researchers from the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a new device that produces a laser beam of atoms with better results than those existing to date. The first atom laser beam was obtained two years ago at the MIT Technological Institute of Massachusetts and the conclusion obtained can be seen in the photo of this new one.

Conventional laser devices produce light rays by concentrating light photons in a single, fine beam.

Two years ago it was demonstrated that the same could be done with atoms and Atomo.To achieve these rays scientists have achieved an exotic type of matter, the condensate Bose-Einstein, by applying sodium atoms in a magnetic field and cooling to almost zero absolute. At this temperature the atoms stop and condense, all acting as one entity. This type of matter was predicted by Einstein, but no demonstration was achieved until 1995. Researchers have been able to produce laser rays taking advantage of the characteristics of atoms in Bose-Einstein condensate. The ray is as thin as a human hair and the atoms have a speed of 6 cm/s. Laser rays composed of atoms will be used to improve instruments that in the future use atomic rays, such as gyroscopes and interferometers.