Researchers at NIST have successfully trapped erbium atoms using lasers, a breakthrough that could lead to new devices for telecommunications, quantum computing, and semiconductor applications. Erbium, a rare earth metal with complex energy properties, was previously considered too difficult to trap due to its 110 energy levels between the two used in laser cooling.
The NIST team heated erbium to over 1300°C to create a stream of atoms, which were then cooled and trapped using magnetic fields and six counter-propagating purple laser beams. The trapped atoms can be used to create Bose-Einstein condensates, a uniform state of matter used in quantum computing research, and may also be useful for producing single photons and doping semiconductors.
This breakthrough demonstrates laser cooling without repumping and establishes a magneto-optical trap for erbium atoms, opening up new possibilities for developing novel technologies.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2006/04/laser-trapping-erbium-may-lead-novel-devices
Keywords: Erbium, Laser, Cooling, Quantum, Semiconductors
