In July 1995, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST announced the creation of a new state of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate. This superatom forms when individual atoms merge at temperatures just billionths of a degree above absolute zero. The discovery could lead to the development of an atomic laser, which may enable extremely precise measuring devices.
Since the announcement, scientists around the world have been working to replicate the discovery. Only one team at MIT has provided solid evidence of producing condensates, with more atoms than the original Colorado apparatus. The Colorado group has built new equipment to produce larger condensates, with one apparatus now trapping about a million atoms.
The Bose-Einstein condensate has generated significant interest in the scientific community. About 60 theoretical papers have been written on the subject, and the two physicists have been deluged with speaking requests. A workshop on the condensate will be held at JILA in July, with other special conferences and workshops planned around the world over the next two years.
The two physicists, Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman, have received several awards for their work, including the Fritz London Award for low-temperature physics.
Keywords: Condensate, Atom, Temperature, Laser, Measurement
