Truly Atomic News

Lasers are pretty much a way of life now for most people in the First World. CD players are the most obvious application of the technology, but there are many more besides. But something new is around the corner, something that pretty much redefines

Lasers are pretty much a way of life now for most people in the First World. CD players are the most obvious application of the technology, but there are many more besides. But something new is around the corner, something that pretty much redefines what a laser can do. Researchers at the University of Arizona have created an atomic laser (don't worry, the office has one on order and it should arrive in a couple of weeks); imagine atoms cooled down to such a degree that they cease to behave as particles and instead exhibit the properties of a wave. It's a lot of work, and really pushes most of the known principles of physics, but it's possible.

Atom Optics, as the technology is known, is being funded by everyone from the US military complex to NASA. At the moment the equipment necessary takes up the better portion of an entire lab, but it is expected that everything can be condensed down to the size of a microchip given a few years hard work. Atom Optics, once perfected and fully understood by its creators will either destroy the fabric of the universe as we know it, or contribute greatly to the fields of quantum computing, quantum cryptography and atomic lithography.

Scientists are also excited about the possibility of using Atom Optics to create an atomic hologram - like a normal hologram made of light, but instead composed of real, solid atoms. You know, maybe Star Trek wasn't so wrong about the holodeck after all…
Atom Optics at the University of Arizona