Researchers at NIST are studying spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) – clouds of atoms in a superposition of internal quantum states. These spinor BECs can be manipulated through collisions and magnetic fields, allowing for improved measurements of magnetic fields and other quantum phenomena.
The dynamics of spinor BECs are described by a simple set of equations involving collisional interactions and magnetic field effects. Researchers have observed quantum phase transitions between 2-component and 3-component BECs, driven by changes in magnetic field or net magnetization.
The study of spinor BECs and photoassociation reactions in laser-cooled atoms provides a foundation for manipulating matter on the smallest scales and improving quantum measurements.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/spinor-condensates-and-ultracold-collisions
Keywords: quantum, condensates, BEC, spinor, superposition
