Phys.org October 18, 2023 Researchers in New Zealand used a small glass bulb containing an atomic vapor to demonstrate a new form of antenna for radio waves. The bulb was “wired up” with laser beams and could therefore be placed far from any receiver electronics. They combined a rubidium vapor cell with a corner-cube prism reflector to form a passive RF transducer, allowing the detection of microwave signals at a location distant from the active components required for atomic sensing. The transducer had no electrical components and was optically linked to an active base station by a pair of free-space […]
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Physicists grab individual atoms in ground-breaking experiment
Science Daily February 20, 2020 Researchers in New Zealand trapped and cooled three individual atoms to a temperature of about a millionth of a Kelvin using highly focused laser beams in a hyper-evacuated chamber. They combined the traps containing the atoms to produce controlled interactions which were measured. When the three atoms approach each other, two form a molecule, and all receive a kick from the energy released in the process. A microscope camera allows the process to be magnified and viewed. They were able to see the exact outcome of individual processes and observed a new process where two […]