Researchers at NIST and the University of Colorado have created a Bose-Einstein “super molecule” using fermion atoms, a significant step towards understanding superconductivity and fermionic superfluidity. The team cooled potassium atoms to near absolute zero and used magnetic fields to create loosely bound bosonic molecules, forming a molecular condensate. This work builds on the 1995 discovery of Bose-Einstein condensates by JILA scientists Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman, who received the Nobel Prize for their achievement. The research could lead to better understanding of superconductivity and the development of new superconducting materials.
Keywords: Quantum, Condensate, Fermions, Superfluidity, Bose-Einstein
