Researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) have developed a new method to observe the wave function of isolated quantum systems, such as gases of atoms, with unprecedented spatial resolution. The technique uses an optical lattice – a web of laser light that suspends thousands of individual atoms – to determine the probability of finding atoms at specific locations. This method can yield the likelihood of atoms’ locations at well below the wavelength of the light used to illuminate them, 50 times better than the limit of what optical microscopy can normally resolve.
The wave function is a mathematical expression that contains all the information needed to describe a quantum system. By measuring a large number of identical quantum systems at the same time and combining the results, physicists can obtain a complete picture of the system’s behavior. The new technique, which can be used to study complex quantum systems that are difficult to calculate, offers new opportunities for understanding quantum mechanics and could potentially be applied to various quantum research areas in the future.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/05/jqi-researchers-shed-new-light-atomic-wave-function
Keywords: Quantum, atom, wave, function, probability, mechanics, resolution, precision, optics, laser, lattice, particles
