Studying Bose-Einstein Superatoms

Studying Bose-Einstein Superatoms
ŠGeoffrey Wheeler Photography
NIST physicist Deborah Jin aligns an infrared laser for a magneto optical trap as part of a JILA project to create "superatoms." The trap is used to collect 1 billion rubidium atoms under ultrahigh vacuum. The atoms are then sent to a second trap under even higher vacuum and cooled to only 100 nanoKelvin (billionths of a degree) above absolute zero. the result is a so called "Bose Einstein condensate" or superatom in which a large number of atoms behave in unison. This allows JILA scientists to study details of atomic behavior that normally occur for single atoms in the 1/10 nanometer scale, at a much larger, more observable scale of 10 micrometers. JILA is jointly operated by NIST and the University of Colorado.

ŠGeoffrey Wheeler Photography

NIST physicist Deborah Jin aligns an infrared laser for a magneto optical trap as part of a JILA project to create "superatoms." The trap is used to collect 1 billion rubidium atoms under ultrahigh vacuum. The atoms are then sent to a second trap under even higher vacuum and cooled to only 100 nanoKelvin (billionths of a degree) above absolute zero. the result is a so called "Bose Einstein condensate" or superatom in which a large number of atoms behave in unison. This allows JILA scientists to study details of atomic behavior that normally occur for single atoms in the 1/10 nanometer scale, at a much larger, more observable scale of 10 micrometers. JILA is jointly operated by NIST and the University of Colorado.

Free use of this photo is restricted to materials that describe NIST programs directly. Copyright is owned by the photographer. To receive an unwatermarked copy of the photo for use describing NIST programs contact Gail Porter, (301) 975-3392. To use the photo as stock photography contact: Geoffrey Wheeler Photography, 721 Pearl St., Boulder, Colo. 80302, phone: (303) 449-2137