Nanooptical traps: A promising building block for quantum technologies

Phys.org  November 19, 2019 By controlling individual atoms, quantum properties can be investigated and made usable for technological applications. However, the applicability of this technology has been limited because the atoms become very hot after a very short time and are lost. An international team of researchers (Austria, Germany) has carefully analyzed the system. With their theoretical model, they were able to show that a certain form of mechanical vibration of the glass fiber is responsible for the strong heating of the particles. This finding has important consequences for applications. The technology can be significantly improved with simple countermeasures, longer […]