A little help with Bose-Einstein Condensation

In summary, the conversation was about making a presentation on Bose-Einstein condensates and asking for any recent applications or helpful resources. One person suggested that a general presentation could be done by reading Wikipedia or a book, but another mentioned a remarkable discovery made by a research group at Bonn University in Germany where they created a Bose-Einstein condensate out of photons. This could potentially lead to a Nobel Prize nomination. Resources mentioned were a physics website and a technical article published in Nature.
  • #1
WackStr
19
0
Hey guys,

So I have to make a presentation on this topic. Does anyone of you know of any recent applications of this phenomenon or helpful introductory paper/article? I'm doing my own independent research too but thought that you guys might know of a very helpful resource/idea that I can look into. Anything else would be appreciated too!

Thanks,
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
If you have to do a general presentation on Bose-Einstein condensates, by reading wikipedia or some book would be enough I'd say. But now that you mention applications; last month, a research group of Bonn University, here in Germany, made a remarkable discovery on this topic. They made a Bose-Einstein condensate out of photons, which was previously thought to be quite 'improbable' since all the type of bosons used before for this kind of experiments were not truly bosons (e.g. He-4 etc.)
So, it wouldn't surprise me if next year's Nobel laureates (or at least nominated to the Nobel's) are Martin Weitz et al.

For more information on this issue, you could check this site:
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/44412
Or, for a more technical article, the one published on Nature(you may need the 'text access' provided by your university to read the article):
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v468/n7323/full/nature09567.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What is Bose-Einstein Condensation?

Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of particles with integer spin, such as atoms, are cooled to extremely low temperatures and begin to behave like a single quantum entity. This means that all of the particles in the group occupy the same quantum state, forming a superfluid or superconductor.

2. How does Bose-Einstein Condensation work?

BEC occurs due to a quantum effect known as quantum indistinguishability. This means that particles with the same quantum properties, such as atoms with the same spin, can no longer be distinguished from each other and begin to behave as one coherent entity. This leads to the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, where all particles occupy the same quantum state.

3. What is the significance of Bose-Einstein Condensation?

BEC has many potential applications in fields such as quantum computing, precision measurement, and superconductivity. It also allows scientists to study the behavior of matter at extremely low temperatures and provides insights into quantum mechanics and the nature of matter.

4. How is Bose-Einstein Condensation achieved?

In order to achieve BEC, a group of particles must be cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically within a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. This is done using specialized cooling techniques such as laser cooling and evaporative cooling.

5. What are some current research areas related to Bose-Einstein Condensation?

Current research in BEC includes studying the behavior of ultracold atoms in optical lattices, creating new types of BEC such as dipolar BEC, and exploring the use of BEC in quantum information processing. Scientists are also investigating the possibility of creating BEC with different types of particles, such as molecules, and in higher dimensions.

Similar threads

  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
83
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
8
Views
2K
Back
Top